FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Dec. 21, 2017
CONTACT: Lisa Meiman, mediarelations@wapa.gov, 720.962.7411
LAKEWOOD, Colorado – Today, Jody Sundsted has been named Western Area Power Administration's senior vice president and Upper Great Plains regional manager.
"Jody's expansive knowledge about WAPA and strength in leading teams through the unknown, like the decision to join Southwest Power Pool, make him the right person for the job," said WAPA Administrator and CEO Mark A. Gabriel. "He is an expert negotiator, navigating complex power marketing contracts in a highly sensitive political environment."
As the UGP regional manager located in Billings, Montana, Sundsted will lead more than 340 employees across Montana, South Dakota, North Dakota, Iowa, Nebraska and Minnesota in serving customers with cost-based federal hydropower. UGP markets more than 2,600 megawatts of firm federal hydropower in a six-state area across almost 8,000 miles of WAPA-owned transmission line to 339 customers. This power is generated at Yellowtail Powerplant on the Bighorn River in Montana and the seven Missouri River main stem dams in Montana and the Dakotas. UGP staff collected $330.6 million in power sales revenue and $146 million in transmission and ancillary service revenue in Fiscal Year 2016.
Before taking on the regional manager mantle, Sundsted served as the vice president of UGP Power Marketing since 2008. He was instrumental in UGP's effort to join SPP's regional transmission organization on Oct. 1, 2015, which has had an annual cost savings to customers exceeding $11.5 million.
A native of Montana, Sundsted holds a bachelor's degree in industrial and management engineering from Montana State University. Sundsted began his federal career in 1985 as a general engineer with WAPA. He has been with the organization for 32 years serving in the Power Marketing office as a public utilities specialist in the Contracts and Rates divisions and as the UGP's financial manager before his leadership role in power marketing.
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About WAPA: Western Area Power Administration annually markets and transmits more than 25,000 gigawatt-hours of clean, renewable power from 57 federal hydroelectric powerplants owned and operated by the Bureau of Reclamation, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and International Boundary and Water Commission in 15 western and central states. It is part of the Department of Energy. Follow us on Twitter @WesternAreaPowr or visit the website at www.wapa.gov.
