BPA Exempted from Federal Staffing Cuts, Hairston Says
Agency Chief Provides Update During Q2 Business Review
BPA Administrator John Hairston
BPA Administrator John Hairston | Bonneville Power Administration
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BPA will not see further staffing cuts, CEO John Hairston said during the agency’s quarterly business review, adding that he hopes to strengthen the workforce when the government lifts federal hiring freezes.

The Bonneville Power Administration will not see further staffing cuts, CEO John Hairston said during the agency’s quarterly business review May 15, adding that he hopes to strengthen the workforce when the government lifts federal hiring freezes.

Hairston pointed to a House Appropriations subcommittee hearing on May 7 in which U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Chris Wright said BPA will not undergo more staffing cuts as part of President Trump’s quest to slim down the federal government. BPA’s federal workforce now stands at around 3,150 employees, according to Hairston. (See Wright Defends DOE Budget at House Appropriations Subcommittee.)

“BPA has been exempted from DOE’s reduction-in-force plans based on the key role BPA plays in public safety and in achieving the department’s vision for reliable, affordable and more abundant energy resources,” Hairston said. “For those same reasons, BPA’s workforce was not eligible for the latest deferred resignation program that DOE offered in April.”

Despite BPA’s status as a self-funding federal agency, its staff in January received a “deferred resignation” buyout offer from Trump’s unofficial Department of Government Efficiency, immediately setting off alarms in the electricity sector about the impact on the region’s grid reliability. (See BPA to Restore 89 ‘Probationary’ Staff, Agency Confirms.)

About 200 agency employees — or 6% of the workforce — accepted the buyout offer, while 90 job offers had been rescinded following a federal hiring freeze announced Jan. 20, according to BPA.

The DOE later allowed BPA to reinstate 89 “probationary” employees.

“We are prioritizing our resources to address our most urgent priorities, and I’m hopeful that we’ll be able to strengthen our workforce when hiring restrictions are lifted,” Hairston said.

Despite workforce challenges, BPA energized two transmission projects in the second quarter: the Longhorn substation in north-central Oregon, which will enable approximately 2,500 MW of generator interconnections, and the 18-mile Midway-to-Ashe 230-kV transmission line in southeastern Washington.

Planning ‘Reforms’

Hairston also provided updates on the agency’s transmission planning changes. BPA issued a pause in February to consider new “reforms” in light of “exponential growth” of transmission service requests (TSRs). BPA’s 2025 transmission cluster study includes over 65 GW of TSRs, compared with 5.9 GW in the 2021 study. The requests exceed the total regional load projected for the Pacific Northwest in 2034, according to the agency.

“Our current processes were not designed to handle this volume, so we are seeking reforms that will allow us to move projects forward more quickly and strengthen the grid,” Hairston said. “Now I’ve asked our team to think creatively and innovate solutions, even if it means disrupting the status quo. A disruptive solution may be what’s needed to achieve my vision, which is to drastically reduce the time from transmission request to transmission service.”

Hairston said he wants to reduce the time from transmission request to service to five to six years, calling his goal “a big ask.”

“But I believe we have the right team for the job,” Hairston said. “They have my full confidence, and I’m going to do everything in my power to make sure they have the resources they need to get the job done.”

The agency is finalizing its provider-of-choice process. BPA aims to have contract offers ready beginning in late August and have them all signed by the end of 2025, Hairston said.

Hairston also commented on BPA’s day-ahead market policy issued May 9. In a much-anticipated decision, the agency selected SPP’s Markets+ as its day-ahead market choice. (See BPA Chooses Markets+ over EDAM.)

“There’s a lot more work to do before we can officially join Markets+, but we are on the right path to delivering more value for the region,” according to Hairston.

Improved Outlook

The agency’s new chief financial officer, Tom McDonald, also provided a financial update during the May 15 call.

BPA’s net revenue for the second quarter is $210 million compared with the agency’s target of $70 million. Net revenues have increased since the first quarter, McDonald said. (See BPA Committed to Trump’s Energy Goals, Hairston Says.)

McDonald said the forecast for the second quarter is based on information at the end of March 2025 and does not reflect the full impact of Trump’s executive orders on BPA.

“We’re certainly happy for the improved outlook but remain mindful that there is still the potential for significant volatility for the remainder of the year,” he added.

CAISO/WEIMCompany NewsMarkets+Transmission Planning

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