News Release Archive

New Power Manager Selected at Grand Coulee Dam

Media Contact: John Redding, (208) 378-5212, 04/26/2011 12:31

For Release: April 26, 2011

The Bureau of Reclamation announced today that Mark Jenson, of Mansfield, Washington, has been selected as the new power manager at Grand Coulee Dam. He replaces David Murillo who now serves as Deputy Commissioner, Operations in Washington, DC.

"I'm very pleased that Mark has accepted this position and is joining the Reclamation team," said Karl Wirkus, Pacific Northwest Regional Director. "His experience working in all facets of hydropower; design, construction, operations and management, makes him uniquely qualified for this position."

For the past nine years Jenson has been serving as Operations Project Manager (OPM), the overall senior manager at the Chief Joseph Dam, which at 2600MW is the nation's second largest hydroelectric facility and the largest hydro plant operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. As OP Manager, he was responsible for all activities at the Project including powerplant operations, maintenance, capital improvements, natural resource management, environmental compliance and stewardship, Tribal relations and cultural resource protection, as well as administration of the Project lands and facilities.

Jenson has over 24 years experience working in the Federal hydropower system in the Northwest. Most of that time has been spent at Chief Joseph Dam, but he has also spent time working at the Libby, Mont. and Albeni Falls, Idaho Projects, at the Corps' Seattle District Office and Hydroelectric Design Center. He has worked closely with his Federal Columbia River Power System (FCRPS) partners, the Bonneville Power Administration and Reclamation facing the challenges of optimizing the benefits of the Columbia River System across the multiple regional and national interests.

He began his hydropower career as an electrical engineer in the Chief Joseph Construction Office during a major plant upgrade and modernization effort. He then served as Seattle District's Hydropower Test Engineer and later as Chief of the Project's Maintenance Section.

A native of Montana, Mark earned his Bachelor's Degree in Electrical Engineering at Montana State University in 1985. He and his wife have three grown children and two grandchildren. They enjoy the outdoor lifestyle and overall quality of life that North Central Washington offers.

The power facilities at Grand Coulee Dam include 33 generators in three power plants, a pumping plant and three switchyards. The Project's rated electrical capacity is 6,809,000 kilowatts; making it the largest hydroelectric dam in the U.S., which also provides water to about 600,000 acres in the Columbia Basin Project.

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The Bureau of Reclamation is a federal agency under the U.S. Department of the Interior and is the nation's largest wholesale water supplier and second largest producer of hydroelectric power. Our facilities also provide substantial flood control, recreation opportunities, and environmental benefits. Visit our website at https://www.usbr.gov and follow us on Twitter @USBR; Facebook @bureau.of.reclamation; LinkedIn @Bureau of Reclamation; Instagram @bureau_of_reclamation; and YouTube @reclamation.

Relevant Link:

http://www.usbr.gov/pn/images/photos/jenson.jpg