Portland,
Ore. – The Bonneville Power Administration today named Larry N. Bekkedahl the
agency’s Transmission Services senior vice president. Bekkedahl, who joined BPA
in spring 2008, has more than 30 years of experience working on Northwest
electric power operations and issues, most recently as BPA Transmission
Services deputy senior vice president.
“Larry has
helped BPA manage a growing capital program, which includes an almost
unprecedented expansion of our transmission network and several other
high-profile projects, since joining BPA almost five years ago,” BPA
Administrator Steve Wright said. “His knowledge of Northwest energy issues and
experience at every level with a variety of transmission customers in the
region will help BPA continue to provide adequate, reliable and safe transmission
service to the region.”
In July
2012, Bekkedahl was selected as BPA’s deputy senior vice president of
Transmission Services. In that position, he oversaw most of the organization’s
day-to-day operations. He previously served as Transmission Services vice
president of Engineering and Technical Services, having joined BPA in April
2008.
“For more
than 75 years, BPA transmission has had a rich history as the backbone of the
Northwest's electric grid,” Bekkedahl said. “I want to continue that rich tradition,
leading the way with new products and services through the use of advanced
technologies.”
Bekkedahl
started his career at the Montana Power Co. in 1981 as an engineering
assistant. In 1984, he moved to PacifiCorp where he assumed progressively higher
levels of responsibility in field operations, including an operations director
assignment for a region including Portland, Hood River and Astoria, Ore. He
also initiated the first hydro resource development project in the Philippines
for the utility. He later spent a year as PacifiCorp’s director of
Transmission, Distribution and Telecommunications Planning. In 2001, he
joined Clark Public Utilities, where he managed system reliability and served
as director of Engineering and Technical Services for approximately seven
years.
Bekkedahl
holds a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering from Montana State
University and has served in exchange positions with utilities in Japan,
Southeast Asia and Bangladesh.
BPA’s
Transmission Services senior vice president supervises four vice president
positions in Transmission Services. Bekkedahl will manage vice presidents
overseeing engineering and technical services, field services, planning and
asset management, and marketing and sales.
Bekkedahl takes over as BPA
Transmission Services continues to meet challenges including constructing or
considering to construct several new high-voltage lines, managing its
transmission service requests through a revised Network Open Season process
with a proposed new transmission tariff currently under review at the Federal
Energy Regulatory Commission, and meeting increasing regulatory requirements.
