Dive Brief:

• The Department of Energy (DOE) has no intention of taking over day-to-day operations of the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) in the wake of its recent scandal involving hiring of personnel, Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz said in a letter to Senate Energy Committee Chairman Ron Wyden (D-OR).
• BPA has been embroiled in a controversy that showed it had manipulated hiring practices, discriminated against veterans and retaliated against whistleblowers who brought problems to light.
• “The challenges facing BPA are great, but we are certain that they can be resolved within a limited time frame. Both DOE headquarters and BPA are committed to building a transparent and constructive relationship. And we continue to recognize and respect BPA's status as a "separate and distinct" organizational entity within DOE,” Moniz said.

Dive Insight: 

BPA operates more than 15,000 miles of transmission and 300 substations in the Pacific Northwest and markets low-cost power from 31 federal hydroelectric projects to millions of customers.