We're one of four power marketing administrations within the U.S. Department of Energy whose role is to market and transmit wholesale electricity from multi-use water projects. Our service area encompasses a 15-state region of the central and western U.S. where our more than 17,000 circuit mile transmission system carries electricity from 57 hydropower plants operated by the Bureau of Reclamation, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers  and the International Boundary and Water Commission. We also market power from the Navajo Generating Station coal-fired plant near Page, Ariz. Together, these plants have an installed capacity of 10,504 megawatts. We sell our power to preference customers such as Federal and state agencies, cities and towns, rural electric cooperatives, public utility districts, irrigation districts and Native American tribes. They, in turn, provide retail electric service to millions of consumers in the West.

Learn more about what we do in our How WAPA Does Business guide (PDF), our most recent annual report and 2018 State of WAPA’s Assets (PDF).

Our mission

Market and deliver clean, renewable, reliable, cost-based federal hydroelectric power and related services

Our vision 

Continue to provide premier power marketing and transmission services to our customers, as well as contribute to enhancing America's energy security and sustaining our nation's economic vitality

Our

Core values

• Listen to understand, speak with purpose. We must always consider our audience and speak to them in ways that will be clear, simple and relevant. We know active listening is the first step in effective communication. We consider context and check for clarity and simplicity. We are respectful, direct, honest, transparent and consistent. We assume positive intent.
• Seek. Share. Partner. We value partnership and actively engage others in the seeking and sharing of ideas. We collaborate to move forward and partner to add value. We actively engage others. We share all relevant information in a timely fashion, acting as one team united in our common mission.
• Respect self, others and the environment. We represent WAPA in being good neighbors and stewards of our collective resources. We are compassionate in our relationships with others, as well as toward ourselves. We are respectful in all of our dealings.
• Do what is right. Do what is safe. We are public servants who act with integrity, stand up for what is right and demonstrate courage when acting in the best interests of our customers and the communities they serve. We are safe in all of our actions and consider safety in all our planning..
• Be curious, learn more, do better. Repeat. We seek and welcome feedback to directly and quickly improve. We innovate, plan for the future and support the growth of our teams and colleagues. We reflect upon progress to learn and grow.
• Serve like your lights depend on it! We understand the importance of our mission to provide power to customers that serve more than 40 million Americans. We anticipate customer needs, build relationships, seek win-win solutions and embrace responsibility. We work hard to ensure other Americans know and understand the importance of our mission.

Our Communication Philosophy

At WAPA, we have a TRUE Communication Philosophy. We are:

• Transparent
• Relevant
• Understandable
• Expedient

Strategic planning

Western Area Power Administration published its Strategic Roadmap 2024, titled "Powering the Energy Frontier," May 2014. “The Roadmap serves as WAPA’s strategic plan and will guide the agency’s actions for the next 10 years so we can continue to successfully deliver on our mission, manage resources effectively and operate safely, securely and reliably in a changing world,” said WAPA's CEO and Administrator Mark Gabriel.

The Roadmap identifies four Critical Pathways WAPA wants to achieve in the next 10 years. Learn more at Strategic Planning.

More information about WAPA's operations can be found in our Newsroom, fact sheets and publications.