Washington, DC – The Northwest Public Power Association (NWPPA) has named Former Congressman Norm Dicks (D-WA) as the inaugural recipient of NWPPA’s “Homer T. Bone Award” for 2016.  The award, named after Senator Homer T. Bone, in honor of his work on behalf of public power, is presented to a state or federal legislator serving and representing constituents in the NWPPA service territory who has demonstrated sustained and remarkable work on behalf of the industry.

For over four decades, Mr. Dicks has worked tirelessly on issues affecting public power in the Pacific Northwest both as a staffer to former U.S. Senator Warren Magnuson (D-WA) and as a Congressman representing Washington’s 6th Congressional District fighting for the interests of the Bonneville Power Administration and its customers.  During his tenure in Congress, Mr. Dicks used his position on the House Appropriations Committee to help ensure the reliability of the public power system by supporting multiple increases to the Bonneville Power Administration’s borrowing authority, amongst other initiatives.  

“Norm was nominated because of his deep commitment to serve public power,” said NWPPA Executive Director Anita Decker. “His leadership in ensuring reliability of the Bonneville Power Administration by supporting increases in bonding authority, a balanced ‘all-H’ approach to fish recovery, and protection of preference rates are all things Homer T. Bone would have been proud of.”  

“Senator Bone was instrumental in bringing public power to Washington State and I am greatly honored to be the inaugural recipient of this award named in his honor,” said Congressman Dicks.  

Congressman Dicks is currently a Senior Policy Advisor at Van Ness Feldman, advising clients on a wide-range of public policy, strategic, and regulatory issues, particularly those in the environmental sector.