Women's History Month
Tracey LeBeau serves as Administrator and CEO of the Western Area Power Administration, leading one of the nation’s largest power marketers and transmission operators. With more than 20 years in energy infrastructure and finance, she guides WAPA’s mission to deliver reliable, cost-based hydropower across a 15-state region. WAPA provides wholesale power and transmission services to nearly 700 customers, supporting electric service for more than 40 million Americans. An experienced infrastructure executive, LeBeau is focused on strengthening grid reliability, modernizing transmission systems, and ensuring WAPA continues to deliver safe, dependable power to the communities it serves.
In recognition of Women’s History Month, PUF sat down with thirteen women leaders across the energy sector to capture their perspectives at a pivotal moment for our industry.
Demand is rising. Infrastructure investment is accelerating. Utilities, regulators, and innovators are navigating increasing expectations around affordability, reliability, and resilience. In this environment, leadership is not theoretical. It is operational. Decisions made today will shape markets, systems, and communities for decades.
The women featured here represent the breadth of the modern grid. Their roles span utilities, regulatory commissions, federal public power, trade associations, research institutions, consumer advocacy offices, and technology companies. The perspectives are varied, but several themes recur: translating complexity into clarity, balancing competing priorities, preparing the workforce of the future, and keeping customers at the center of the conversation.
These conversations are not a single narrative. They are a collection of viewpoints reflecting the realities of leadership in motion. Together, they offer insight into how this essential industry is being guided forward at a time of significant change.
PUF’s Rachel Bryant: Your career in energy has spanned many parts of the industry. How did you find your way into this work?