Steve Wright

Steve graduated from the University of Oregon with a Master’s degree in public administration. He began his professional career at the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) in the energy conservation division in 1981. He held a number of positions within BPA, the last 12 years as Administrator/CEO. BPA provides roughly one-third the electricity and 70% of the high voltage transmission in the Pacific Northwest. At BPA he was in charge during the west coast energy crisis and the resulting financial recovery, completed a 10-year agreement for salmon restoration in the Columbia River basin, oversaw substantial increases in energy efficiency investments, established new transmission expansion and integration strategies to support wind power development, and new 20-year power sales contract for all of BPA’s supply. He retired from BPA in 2013.

As General Manager at Chelan Public Utility District from 2013-2021, Steve led the development of two community based Strategic Plans with the most recent plan finalized in October 2019. In a 2020 survey, 86% of customers indicated they were very satisfied or satisfied with their Chelan PUD service.

Under Steve’s leadership Chelan PUD and PGP developed studies to identify a least cost path for achieving greenhouse gas emissions reductions in the Pacific Northwest electric sector. Also, Chelan PUD and the National Hydropower Association coauthored an agenda for public policy actions to reinvigorate the hydropower industry.
Steve was appointed to the Southwest Power Pool Board in 2022. SPP manages electricity markets and the transmission system from northern Texas through North Dakota. He has the lead on the Board for western systems expansion and market seams. He is chair of the Interim Markets+ Independent Panel overseeing SPP’s day ahead market developments in the West.

Steve was a member of the Boards of the American Public Power Association and the Alliance to Save Energy, on the Steering Committee for the Large Public Power Council (25 largest public power utilities in the country) and Past Chair of the Public Generating Pool (public power generators in Washington and Oregon). He is a past co-chair of the APPA Climate Change Task Force. He has been awarded the Presidential Rank Award for distinguished service as federal government executive, APPA Alex Radin award for distinguished service (APPA’s highest award), ASE Charles Percy award for public service (ASE’s highest award), APPA Alan Richardson award for Statesmanship, Washington PUD Association, Oregon PUD Association and Northwest Public Power Association Lifetime Achievement Awards among others. He has testified before the United States Congress more than a dozen times.

A frequent conference speaker and strategic planning consultant, Steve is the author of Inspired Public Service: A Guide to Building Pride Purpose and Democracy an inspirational story about how to increase the effectiveness of government agencies utilizing the motivation of the serving the public interest. His book has been endorsed by Congressional members, federal and state executives and leaders in the electric utility industry.The book shares opportunities for current and potential public sector leaders to take actions to support democracy through helping restore trust in government.