Reliability for Ratepayers Act

Reliability for Ratepayers Act

This bill modifies provisions concerning the hiring and compensation of employees of the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA), which is a nonprofit federal power marketing administration that sells hydropower in the Northwest.

Specifically, it directs BPA to develop and implement a plan that specifies and fixes the compensation for its employees, including members of the Senior Executive Service. Within a year, BPA must develop an initial compensation plan, which must be approved by the Department of Energy. BPA must implement the plan no later than one year after the plan is developed.

The compensation plan must be based on an annual survey of the prevailing compensation for similar positions in the public sectors of the electric industry, provide compensation that is competitive with similar positions among consumer-owned utilities in the Western Interconnection, be consistent with BPA's approved annual general and administrative budget, and meet other criteria as outlined in the bill. 

BPA must (1) annually review the compensation plan and make any updates as appropriate, and (2) publish the plan and any updates made to the plan.

The bill exempts BPA from certain civil service laws when it is carrying out its hiring authority.

Finally, the bill subjects BPA's employees to certain merit system principles.