The Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) is a federal agency headquartered in Portland, Oregon, which transmits and sells wholesale electricity to the Pacific Northwest region of the United States, including Washington, Oregon, Idaho and western Montana. A part of the U. S. Department of Energy, the BPA was created in 1937 to facilitate the electricity generated from Bonneville and Grand Coulee Dam.
The BPA now markets the electricity from 31 hydroelectric dams on the Columbia River and her tributaries as well as one nuclear power plant at the Hanford Nuclear Reservation (that is no longer operational). It has more than 15,000 miles of electrical lines and 300 substations. They also maintain connection lines between other power grids in Canada and the southwestern United States.
The power generated on the BPA's grid is sold to public utilities, private utilities and industry on the grid. The excess is sold to other grids in Canada, California and other regions. Because they are a public entity they sell their electricity at coast and not market prices. They also regulate flow of water in the Columbia River and take on environmental projects such as salmon replenishment.
Contact Information:
Bonneville Power Administration
P.O. Box 3621
Portland, OR 97208-3621
Phone: 800.282.3713
Email: comment@bpa.gov
Web site: www.bpa.gov