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Why It Matters
Montana has a significant stake in the Bonneville Power Administration, which operates major federal hydroelectric infrastructure in the state — including Hungry Horse Dam on the South Fork Flathead River and Libby Dam on the Kootenai River. The appointment of a Montana-rooted administrator puts a familiar face at the helm of one of the region’s most consequential energy agencies.
Energy cooperatives across Montana are taking notice. Jason Williams, representing Flathead Electric Cooperative, said that having someone with Montana roots and broad utility-sector experience in the position is meaningful for the co-op and the members it serves.
What Happened
U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright announced Monday that Travis Kavulla, a Great Falls native and former Montana Public Service Commissioner, has been appointed Chief Executive and Administrator of the Bonneville Power Administration. Kavulla will be sworn in on June 29 at BPA’s headquarters in Portland, with Under Secretary of Energy Kyle Haustveit presiding over the ceremony.
Wright described Kavulla as well-suited for the role, saying his “extensive experience in the energy sector will strengthen Bonneville’s ongoing efforts to expand and modernize energy infrastructure and ensure regional grid reliability.”
Kavulla’s Background
Kavulla built a notable career in energy regulation and policy before his federal appointment. He was elected to the Montana Public Service Commission in 2010 at just 26 years old, making him one of the youngest utility regulators in the country at the time. He was re-elected in 2014 and served on the commission through 2019.
After leaving state government, Kavulla worked with the California Independent System Operator, then joined the R Street Institute, a market-oriented policy think tank. He most recently served as vice president at NRG Energy for seven years, giving him direct private-sector experience in electricity markets before taking the BPA post.
About the Bonneville Power Administration
BPA is a federal power marketing agency with an outsized role in Pacific Northwest energy. It markets electricity generated by 31 federal dams throughout the Columbia River Basin, as well as one nuclear plant. The agency also operates the majority of the region’s high-voltage transmission grid, making it central to grid reliability from Idaho and Montana to the Pacific Coast.
Beyond power generation and transmission, BPA funds one of the largest fish and wildlife mitigation programs in the world — a responsibility tied to the ecological impact of the Columbia River dam system.
Montana’s two BPA-connected dams reflect the agency’s deep footprint in the state. Libby Dam, which created Lake Koocanusa on the Kootenai River, was authorized by Congress under the 1950 Flood Control Act and completed in 1973. Hungry Horse Dam on the South Fork of the Flathead remains another key piece of BPA’s Montana infrastructure.
By the Numbers
- 31 federal dams whose power BPA markets across the Columbia River Basin
- 1 nuclear plant also marketed by BPA
- 7 years Kavulla spent as vice president at NRG Energy before his appointment
- 26 — Kavulla’s age when first elected to the Montana PSC in 2010
- June 29 — scheduled date of Kavulla’s swearing-in at BPA headquarters in Portland
Zoom Out
BPA’s role in the Mountain West and Pacific Northwest is growing in complexity. States across the region are grappling with rising electricity demand driven partly by data center expansion and shifts in energy generation. Montana communities have already begun ballot efforts to give voters a say over large-scale data center development — a trend that puts additional strain on transmission infrastructure BPA controls.
Kavulla’s background in both regulatory policy and private energy markets positions him to navigate those pressures as federal energy officials push to modernize the grid.
What’s Next
Kavulla’s formal swearing-in is set for June 29 in Portland. Once in place, he will oversee BPA’s infrastructure modernization efforts, grid reliability programs, and the agency’s expansive fish and wildlife obligations — all with direct implications for Montana ratepayers and energy cooperatives throughout the Northwest.
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