Michael Gage, Ex-Bradley Aide, Elected DWP Chief

Real estate executive Michael Gage was elected president of Los Angeles’ huge water and power utility Thursday, a key milestone in Mayor Tom Bradley’s push to make the agency an “environmental trend setter.”

The vote by Department of Water and Power commissioners came without debate or dissent, despite concerns expressed by critics inside and outside of the agency that a strongly environmental tilt at the nation’s largest municipal utility could prove costly and impractical.

Gage, Bradley’s former chief of staff whom the mayor handpicked to lead the new commission majority, sought to allay such fears Thursday by telling reporters that he anticipates no “whimsical changes” at the agency responsible for supplying electrical power and water to 3 million city residents.

Outgoing DWP President Rick Caruso, who had been at odds with Gage and the newly appointed commission majority he leads, discounted the differences Thursday and said he supports the change of leadership.

“The direction will change and that’s fine. . . . Rotation is healthy,” he said.

Gage said he will be meeting with DWP managers in the coming weeks to review the department’s goals, and that changes in direction will come gradually rather than abruptly. Gage has said the new leadership will emphasize alternative energy sources and water conservation to meet future demands for service.

In addition, Gage said Thursday that he anticipates a close review of the $3-billion-a-year department’s spending practices and efforts to increase the share of business going to minority contractors.

The department’s travel and entertainment expenditures have come under fire recently. Under new guidelines ordered recently by Bradley, the board reviewed and approved hiring charter jets, at an expected cost of more than $44,000, to ferry employees to meetings at a department power facility in Utah. Gage said there were no regular commercial flights available.