BPA Power Contract Renewal
Item #: 10a
Meeting Date: September 23, 2025
Aviation F&I Utilities
Agenda Item: 10a_supp
Meeting Date: September 23, 2025
BPA Power Contract Renewal
• Renew the airport’s electrical power contract with the
Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) for power deliveries
beginning October 1, 2028 and ending September 30, 2044
• Total estimated costs over 16-year contract term: $150M
– Includes staff estimates of biennial rate case increases and SEA load
growth impacts through 2044
– Currently, SEA pays about $6M/year
• Signed contract due to BPA by December 4, 2025
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About the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA)
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BPA service territory showing
federal dams and
transmission lines
Regional Power and Transmission Planning
• Northwest Power and Conservation Council
– Five-year power plans: next due 2026 (2021 plan updated 2024)
– Annual resource adequacy assessments
• Bonneville Power Administration
– Annual: regional loads and resources forecast and assessment
– Annual: regional transmission plan
• Evolving Grid (2024-2034): $5B investment over 23 regional projects
– Biennial: BPA resource assessment and plan
– Annual: Port of Seattle load forecasting, impacts power and
transmission planning
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Providing Service to SEA
• BPA has supplied power for the SEA terminal and cargo area,
among other airfield facilities, since SEA became eligible in
2001 by establishing itself as a public utility
• Existing contract, signed in 2008, covers power deliveries
between 2011 and 2028
• Low risk, rates, and carbon content support Century Agenda
goals including being a highly effective public agency as well as
the greenest and most energy efficient port in North America
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Looking Forward
• BPA supports serving future SEA load growth with proactive
planning, transmission, and access to collective regional
purchasing for future resource needs, expected to be 100%
carbon-free
• 16-year rate estimates include operations and maintenance
costs on existing federal resources, support for fish and wildlife
programs, a continued focus on energy efficiency, and new
resources added to meet load growth
• Alternatives present significantly higher levels of cost and risk
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Action Requested
• Requesting Commission authorization for the Executive
Director to execute the renewal of the Bonneville Power
Administration (BPA) contract serving the airport for electrical
power deliveries beginning October 1, 2028 and ending
September 30, 2044.
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Questions?
