PNNL

Kyle DeSomber, hydropower advisor at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), has been elected to serve on the Board of Directors for the Northwest Hydroelectric Association (NWHA).

NWHA is a regional trade association that brings together hydropower professionals across the Northwest to share knowledge, strengthen collaboration, and support the hydropower community. Its Board of Directors helps guide the association’s vision and priorities and supports collaboration across the region’s hydropower community.

“I’ve spent my entire 20+ year career in the Northwest, and I owe my livelihood to the electricity and opportunities created by our hydropower fleet. Serving on the NWHA board is a chance to give back to the industry that has shaped my career and powered our communities.” 

DeSomber is a hydropower advisor in PNNL’s Energy and Environment Directorate, where he leads research and strategy at the intersection of hydropower technology, grid services, and national energy policy. Since joining PNNL, he has directed hydropower fleet maintenance and modernization initiatives and led hydropower supply chain assessments to inform executive actions. He joined PNNL in 2021 after 19 years in the hydropower industry, with experience spanning operations and maintenance, design engineering, and private-sector business development.

He began his career with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers as a maintenance engineer at Little Goose Lock and Dam, later transitioning to mechanical design engineering in the Walla Walla District, where he served for six years as chief of mechanical design. He later joined McMillen Jacobs Associates, serving as mechanical practice lead and then energy practice lead.