Kyle DeSomber

Kyle has dedicated his career to the Hydropower Industry, beginning with a collegiate hydropower competition that shaped his academic path. He holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Gonzaga University and an M.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Washington State University. Kyle started his career in Operations and Maintenance at Little Goose Lock and Dam on the Snake River and spent fifteen years with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Walla Walla District as a maintenance engineer, design engineer, and Chief of Mechanical Design. He later joined McMillen, where he designed and constructed hydropower projects, including leading the startup and commissioning of a greenfield hydropower facility during the COVID pandemic. Kyle then spent three years supporting the Department of Energy’s Waterpower Technologies Office, leading the Fleet Modernization, Maintenance, and Cybersecurity Portfolio and directing the Hydropower Supply Chain assessments for the Office of the Secretary. Kyle is an advisor at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, where he divides his time between technical research, hydropower supply chain assessments, and advising on policy, program development, and research priorities relevant to the hydropower industry.