Western Area Power Administration
Encyclopedia
The Western Area Power Administration (WAPA) markets and delivers hydroelectric power and related services within a 15-state region of the central and western U.S. It is one of four power marketing administrations within the U.S. Department of Energy having the role to market and transmit electricity
from multi-use water projects to retail power distribution companies and public authorities. Its transmission system carries electricity from 55 hydropower
plants operated by the Bureau of Reclamation, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the International Boundary and Water Commission
. Together, these plants have a capacity of 10,600 megawatts. WAPA is headquartered in the Denver, Colorado
suburb of Lakewood, Colorado
.
WAPA built several parts of the important Path 15
corridor that connects power grids in the Southwest and Pacific Northwest
(the rest was privately built by PG&E). Recently, WAPA helped remedy a transmission
bottleneck near Los Banos, California
. That bottleneck was one of the reasons for the California electricity crisis
in 2000-01. Another important transmission corridor WAPA built was Path 66
, paralleling Path 15.
WAPA also owns and operates many electric power substations like the Mead substation
to distribute power within the region.
WAPA and its energy-producing partners are separately managed and financed. In addition, each water project maintains a separate financial system and records.
Electricity
Electricity is a general term encompassing a variety of phenomena resulting from the presence and flow of electric charge. These include many easily recognizable phenomena, such as lightning, static electricity, and the flow of electrical current in an electrical wire...
from multi-use water projects to retail power distribution companies and public authorities. Its transmission system carries electricity from 55 hydropower
Hydropower
Hydropower, hydraulic power, hydrokinetic power or water power is power that is derived from the force or energy of falling water, which may be harnessed for useful purposes. Since ancient times, hydropower has been used for irrigation and the operation of various mechanical devices, such as...
plants operated by the Bureau of Reclamation, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the International Boundary and Water Commission
International Boundary and Water Commission
The International Boundary and Water Commission is an international body created in 1889 by the United States and Mexico to administer the many boundary and water-rights treaties and agreements between the two nations....
. Together, these plants have a capacity of 10,600 megawatts. WAPA is headquartered in the Denver, Colorado
Denver, Colorado
The City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...
suburb of Lakewood, Colorado
Lakewood, Colorado
Lakewood is a Home Rule Municipality that is the most populous city in Jefferson County, Colorado, United States. Lakewood is the fifth most populous city in the State of Colorado and the 172nd most populous city in the United States. The United States Census Bureau estimates that in April 1, 2010...
.
WAPA built several parts of the important Path 15
Path 15
Path 15 is an portion of the north-south power transmission corridor in California, U.S. It forms a part of the Pacific AC Intertie and the California-Oregon Transmission Project....
corridor that connects power grids in the Southwest and Pacific Northwest
Pacific Northwest
The Pacific Northwest is a region in northwestern North America, bounded by the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains on the east. Definitions of the region vary and there is no commonly agreed upon boundary, even among Pacific Northwesterners. A common concept of the...
(the rest was privately built by PG&E). Recently, WAPA helped remedy a transmission
Electric power transmission
Electric-power transmission is the bulk transfer of electrical energy, from generating power plants to Electrical substations located near demand centers...
bottleneck near Los Banos, California
Los Banos, California
Los Banos is a city in Merced County, California, near the junction of State Route 152 and Interstate 5. Los Banos is located southwest of Merced, at an elevation of 118 feet . The population was 35,972 at the 2010 census, up from 25,869 at the 2000 census...
. That bottleneck was one of the reasons for the California electricity crisis
California electricity crisis
The California electricity crisis, also known as the Western U.S. Energy Crisis of 2000 and 2001 was a situation in which California had a shortage of electricity caused by market manipulations and illegal shutdowns of pipelines by Texas energy consortiums...
in 2000-01. Another important transmission corridor WAPA built was Path 66
Path 66
Path 66 is the name of several 500 kV power lines that were built by Western Area Power Administration , Pacific Gas & Electric , and PacifiCorp in the early 1970s to 1990s and totally completed in 1993...
, paralleling Path 15.
WAPA also owns and operates many electric power substations like the Mead substation
Mead substation
The Mead substation is a major electric power interconnection point in the western United States. The station in the El Dorado Valley is owned and operated by the Western Area Power Administration.-Interconnects:...
to distribute power within the region.
WAPA and its energy-producing partners are separately managed and financed. In addition, each water project maintains a separate financial system and records.