The Bonneville Power Administration has signed a functional agreement offered by ColumbiaGrid to implement a regional transmission planning and expansion process. ColumbiaGrid’s Planning and Expansion Functional Agreement is one of several agreements the non-profit regional transmission entity will offer as part of its mission to improve the operational efficiency, reliability and planned expansion of the region’s transmission grid.

“BPA is pleased to participate in the development of an open, coordinated, one-utility regional transmission planning process that supports regional utilities’ resource plans,” said Syd Berwager, BPA’s manager of Industry Restructuring. “We hope more parties will sign the functional agreement, which will have the benefit of increasing the robustness and overall value of ColumbiaGrid’s planning efforts.”

ColumbiaGrid, a non-profit membership Washington corporation, was formed in March 2006 to improve the operational efficiency, reliability and planned expansion of the Northwest transmission grid. Current members of ColumbiaGrid are Avista Corp., BPA, Chelan County PUD, Grant County PUD, Puget Sound Energy, Seattle City Light and Tacoma Power.