Bonneville Power Leadership Recruitment Act

The Bonneville Power Leadership Recruitment Act proposes to modernize the compensation structure for the Administrator of the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA). Currently, the salary for this position is capped by federal pay scales, which supporters argue makes it difficult to attract and retain highly qualified executives from the private utility sector. The bill would authorize the Secretary of Energy to set the Administrator’s salary at a level comparable to chief executives of consumer-owned utilities within the Western Interconnection power grid.

Beyond the top leadership role, the legislation aims to extend market-based compensation standards to other senior-level employees at the BPA. It would require the Department of Energy to conduct annual compensation surveys to ensure that agency pay remains competitive with industry standards. Proponents suggest that by offering higher salaries, the agency can recruit the experienced leadership necessary to manage the Pacific Northwest’s complex energy grid and maintain reliable, low-cost power for millions of residents.