New Ferguson Power Plant Manager Andrew Valencia.

"I view electricity as one of the basic human needs," Valencia said. "You produce the power that powers people's lives. Getting back to being a public servant and providing what I think is a basic human need is a very good thing for me."

The New Mexico native has spent the past 20 years working at and managing power plants of various sizes and fuel types, most in Texas and all owned by for-profit electric utilities. Some were similar to the 420-megawatt gas-fired plant he now manages in Horseshoe Bay, while the most recent one was a large, 2,580-megawatt coal-fired plant near Tatum.

"The thing about a power station is, they're all basically the same technology," he said. "It's the people that make a difference, and that's one of the things that drew me to LCRA."

Although Valencia had plenty of experience, he admits that moving to a new company, where none of the employees knew him, was a "little bit of an intimidating experience." The close-knit 40-employee community at Ferguson quickly relieved any concerns he might have had.

"They've been very welcoming," he said. "They've been very friendly. They've been very open, and I couldn't ask for a better team to work with here at Ferguson."

He hopes to enjoy a similar experience elsewhere in the community. The Ferguson Power Plant is on Lake LBJ and has many neighbors. LCRA staff works closely with local officials and neighbors to keep them informed and respond to any concerns that arise from plant operations. Valencia has begun to meet with some community leaders and looks forward to doing more of that in the coming weeks.

"I'm glad to be a part of LCRA," Valencia said. "It's a great team. It's got a great history. I just want to be able to continue to make Ferguson a proud part of the community. I look forward to being somebody people can call if they have questions or concerns."

Meanwhile, he is focused on keeping the plant running smoothly and thinking ahead to future needs and challenges. One of those challenges, which LCRA and many other electric generating companies are managing, is work force turnover as more experienced employees retire. 

"A lot of these facilities were built at the same time in the '70s. People hired on at about the same time, and now they're all about to retire at the same time," he noted. "So that's an industry-wide challenge that we'll have to face."

"We had some excellent applicants for this job," said Ken Taylor, LCRA's Manager of Power Production, who is Valencia's supervisor and served on the committee that selected him. "What set Andrew apart was that he had vast perspective of the electric power business — not only operating and maintaining a plant, which is important, but also from the business side."

Taylor noted that perspective and experience will be helpful as LCRA evaluates the possibility of replacing the 36-year-old plant with a new, more efficient facility on the same site.

The LCRA Board will decide in spring 2011 whether LCRA should build the new plant or take another approach to serve growing energy needs in this region.

Valencia now is not only an LCRA employee, but also an LCRA customer. He and his wife, Jennifer, along with their three children — 4-year-old Corinne, 6-year-old Camille, and 9-year-old Everett — are enjoying new schools and their new home in Driftwood. As members of Pedernales Electric Cooperative, they buy LCRA-generated electricity. They also purchase water from LCRA's West Travis County regional water system.

"I wish I had a nickel for every time somebody asked me if I got my power for free," he joked. Of course, Valencia, like other LCRA employees, pays his local cooperative for the competitively priced power PEC buys from LCRA. But, he now will enjoy the benefits of co-op membership and the value it provides to the region he now calls home.

"We've enjoyed every place we've ever lived," Valencia said. "It seems like Central Texas has got a little bit of everything.  That's something I think we're going to really, really like."