David Nahai resigns from DWP *

Nahai, the former commissioner at the Department of Water and Power who Mayor Villaraigosa put in charge of the agency in 2007, has been in stormy weather almost the whole time and could fairly be labeled as embattled in recent months. Here's the statement from Villaraigosa's office:

I would like to thank David Nahai for his four years of service at the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power where he led the team responsible for increasing the City's renewable energy portfolio, reducing water consumption to record levels, and putting us on the path to be coal free by 2020.

I wish him great success in his new endeavor as Senior Advisor to the Clinton Climate Initiative where he will use his experience and leadership skills to advance their core mission of finding and developing workable solutions to climate change.

Rick Orlov at the Daily News reports that Nahai "has faced harsh questioning over the past year with the utility seeking increases in water and power rates, water conservation programs and the recent problems with water main breaks around the city." Former DWP chief S. David Freeman is expected to take over as interim head, Orlov says.

* Nahai's resignation letter: "I leave with nothing but fond memories...and immense pride..." Whole thing