Peter Thomas Johnson was born in Boise, Idaho, in 1932. In 1952, he and Carolyn Ann Carley were married; they later had four children. In 1954, he earned a bachelor’s degree, and in 1955, he earned a master’s degree in business administration, both from Dartmouth College. He served in the U.S. Air Force from 1955 to 1957. From 1957 to 1968, he worked for the MacGregor Triangle Corporation, serving as executive vice president from 1964 to 1968. From 1968 to 1979, he worked for the Trus Joist Corporation; he was CEO when he left the company in 1979. From 1981 to 1986, he served as the administrator for the Bonneville Power Administration. He also served on the transition team for President Ronald Reagan in 1981. He died in 2014.

The Northwest Power Planning Council is a four-state regional planning body formed by Congress through the Northwest Power Act of 1980 to develop and maintain regional conservation and electric power plans and a fish and wildlife program. The council is composed of two representatives from each member state: Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and Montana. The mission of the council is "to preserve the benefits of the Columbia River for future generations." The body was originally known as the Pacific Northwest Electric Power and Conservation Planning Council; the name was shortened to Northwest Power Planning Council in October 1981, and in 2003, the name was changed to the Northwest Power and Conservation Council.