BPA - 75th Anniversary

This year marks the 75th anniversary of the Bonneville Power Administration. On August 20, 1937, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt signed the Bonneville Project Act to deliver the massive benefits of Columbia River hydropower — clean, inexpensive electricity — to citizens of the Pacific Northwest.

It was a revolutionary and compassionate idea — to bring down the barriers between the rural poor and dreams of a better life by providing power at the cost of production, rather than for profit.

Since then, much has changed. The Northwest economy has expanded a thousandfold. People use electricity to power gadgets that no one would have dreamed of back in the '30s. What hasn't changed is the source of our power — the mighty waters of the Columbia — and our commitment to the public good.

Today, BPA aspires to continue bringing down the barriers that separate economic success from environmental health in the 21st century.

Anniversary News

Please join the Bonneville Power Administration, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Bureau of Reclamation for a celebration of BPA and Bonneville Dam’s 75th anniversaries.

President Franklin D. Roosevelt dedicated Bonneville Lock and Dam and signed the Bonneville Project Act in 1937 to bring clean, efficient hydropower to the Northwest and transform our economy and way of life. A re-enactment of this historic event will kickoff the celebration, followed by presentations from federal agency leaders, elected officials, tribal representatives and others. Entertainment, family activities, tours of the dam and light refreshments will also be provided as we celebrate the shared bounty of the Columbia River.

WHEN: Saturday, Sept. 15, noon to 4 p.m. Activities begin at noon; the re-enactment begins at approximately 12:30 p.m.

WHERE: Bonneville Dam, Bradford Island Visitor Center, Cascade Locks, Ore.