MGP introduces bipartisan legislation to help develop Bonneville compensation plan

By Mitchell Roland / mitchell@chronline.com
Posted 11/26/24

Two Washington lawmakers have introduced bipartisan legislation to direct the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) to create a comprehensive compensation plan for all employees.

On Tuesday, …

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MGP introduces bipartisan legislation to help develop Bonneville compensation plan

Posted

Two Washington lawmakers have introduced bipartisan legislation to direct the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) to create a comprehensive compensation plan for all employees.

On Tuesday, U.S. Reps. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, D-Skamania, and Rep. Dan Newhouse, R-Sunnyside, introduced the Reliability for Ratepayers Act.

According to the lawmakers, the legislation would help BPA recruit and retain workers, support reliability and help address a backlog of utility projects, which they said could bring down costs for ratepayers.

“When I go out and speak with skilled workers across our communities, I see a lot of gray hair. To continue to recruit and retain folks in essential public energy jobs, we’ve got to honor their hard work through appropriate compensation,” Gluesenkamp Perez said in a statement. “By introducing the Reliability for Ratepayers Act with Congressman Newhouse, we’ll be able to address critical workforce shortages in our federal power system and begin addressing long-overdue projects that can help keep rates down for Southwest Washington families.”

According to Gluesenkamp Perez, the compensation plan would be reviewed annually and would be based on prevailing compensation in the public sectors of the electric industry.



“Ensuring reliable and affordable energy for our communities requires a strong and capable workforce at the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA),” Newhouse said in a statement. “This bill provides BPA with the flexibility to offer competitive compensation, address hiring and retention challenges, and tackle the backlog of critical projects that impact families and businesses across the Pacific Northwest. By updating BPA’s compensation structure to match industry standards, we can ensure the agency is well-positioned to deliver the reliability ratepayers deserve while strengthening our region's energy future."

Established in 1937, the BPA transmits and sells wholesale electricity in eight states, including Washington. In October, the Lewis County Public Utility District (PUD) adopted a new rate schedule that will increase the average residential customer’s energy bill by about $8 a month beginning next year.

At the time, officials said much of the need for an increase was due to a 10% rate increase from the BPA. According to Lewis County PUD General Manager David Plotz, power supply makes up about 60% of the PUD’s expenses, and Plotz added that many surrounding utility districts were experiencing similar cost increases.

“The mission of the Public Power Council is to preserve and enhance the benefits of the Federal Columbia River Power System marketed by the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) for both consumer-owned utilities and the communities they serve.  In recent years, the ability of BPA to recruit and retain talented employees has become increasingly more difficult given that BPA salaries are not commensurate with similar positions throughout the region,” Scott Simms, CEO and Executive Director of the Public Power Council, said in a statement. “The legislation introduced today by Reps. Gluesenkamp Perez and Newhouse goes a long way toward encouraging a competitive and talented workforce for the betterment of the region. PPC applauds bipartisan work and the continued commitment of ensuring reliable, affordable power for the Northwest.”