Bonneville Power Administration
John Hairston is CEO of the Bonneville Power Administration.
Public Utilities Fortnightly's Paul Kjellander talked with two leaders on all issues pertaining to hydropower and what its future looks like. Bonneville Power Administration CEO John Hairston and Idaho Power CEO Lisa Grow have much to say on this important subject. Paul offers commentary too.
PUF's Paul Kjellander: Give your perspective on the historic value and reliance on hydropower for Bonneville Power Administration and what this has done as a resource to help facilitate lifestyles in the Pacific Northwest.
John Hairston: BPA was created in 1937 as part of the New Deal. This was a plan by then President Franklin Roosevelt to promote economic recovery and pull America out of the Great Depression, a very important focus.
Bonneville Dam had just been built and BPA was established to sell hydropower and build transmission lines needed to deliver it to provide rural electrification. The hydropower system is vitally important in being that economic engine.
It creates prosperity for the region and has done that ever since. The first federal dam was built in 1937 — the Bonneville Dam — and now we've got thirty-one federal hydro projects on the system.