LONG BEACH — Marc Wilson, general manager of Public Utility District No. 2 of Pacific County since July 2022, plans to retire this December, the electricity provider announced in an online statement.
In total, Wilson will have spent 33 years at PUD, including as an energy intern, energy analyst, utility engineer-energy analyst, Information technology administrator, IT director and IT manager before being promoted to the top job. He replaced Jason Dunsmoor, who served five years as PUD general manager as part of around 30 years at the utility.
“It has been an honor to serve as general manager of Pacific County PUD and work alongside such a dedicated team. Despite being in this position for a relatively short time, I am grateful for the experiences and relationships built over the years and proud of what we have accomplished together. While I look forward to this new chapter, I will always value my time at the PUD and the community we serve,” Wilson said.
PUD’s three-member elected board said a transition plan is in place to ensure a “seamless leadership change,” and will announce Wilson’s successor in the coming months. When the board opted in 2022 to make a second internal promotion, it said Wilson’s selection followed “an extensive, competitive search and selection process that included input from both community and staff.”
Board members provided effusive praise of Wilson and his time as general manager.
“I want to extend my deepest gratitude to Manager Marc Wilson for his 33 years of service to Pacific PUD. Under his leadership, we have seen remarkable improvements that will continue to benefit our community for years to come. His expertise in telecom has expanded broadband service to our area; connecting our community in a bigger way,” Commission Chairwoman Michelle Layman said.

Rate hike coming
In unrelated news, PUD announced in its spring newsletter that it will be passing along some additional portion of rate hikes imposed by its primary electricity supplier, the Bonneville Power Administration. PUD previously raised rates 2.5% for its 2025 fiscal year.
“BPA’s proposal includes a 10.8% increase in power rates and a 24% increase in transmission rates, leading to an estimated 14% overall increase in wholesale costs for Pacific PUD,” the utility said. BPA provides around half the power that PUD buys.
PUD said it plans to implement incremental rate hikes in a way that “minimizes rate shock.” It avoids raising rates during the winter months when energy bills are already at their highest.
A table in the newsletter showed that in 2024 Pacific County PUD’s basic residential rates were among the lowest in the region, coming in at about 56% of what Pacific Power customers are charged.