Power Markets
John Hairston is CEO of the Bonneville Power Administration. Paul Kjellander is Senior Advisor at Public Utilities Fortnightly.
Four federal Power Marketing Administrations operate electric systems and sell the electrical output of federally owned and operated hydroelectric dams in thirty-four states, including the Bonneville Power Administration. BPA markets wholesale electrical power from thirty-one federal hydroelectric projects in the pacific northwest, one nonfederal nuclear plant, and several small nonfederal power plants.
On top of that, BPA operates and maintains more than fifteen thousand circuit miles of high-voltage transmission in its vast service territory. To put all this in perspective, BPA provides one-third of the electricity in the pacific northwest and operates over three-fourths of the region's high-voltage electric transmission.
It's a massive business and might explain why BPA's CEO John Hairston is a self-proclaimed insomniac. Faced with new challenges from electrification and climate, PUF's Paul Kjellander held a heart-to-heart talk with Hairston about the many added pressures to keep rates among the lowest in the nation.
PUF's Paul Kjellander: You're CEO of the Bonneville Power Administration. As a large transmission and energy provider, what sets BPA apart?