Snowy Hydro executives were paid more than $1 million in bonuses linked to performance last year, even as costs for the multi-billion-dollar renewables project Snowy 2.0 spiralled.Snowy Hydro's chief executive, Dennis Barnes, received $323,000 in bonus pay on top of his $1.69 million salary last financial year, while four other senior executives received about $919,000 in "variable pay".Mr Barnes was paid just shy of the $338,786 bonus awardable to him for Snowy Hydro meeting its targets, despite a third of executive bonuses being contingent on the performance of Snowy 2.0 and other projects.That bonus was paid in September, a month before Snowy Hydro confirmed its renewables mega-project would exceed its budget by even more than the $10 billion blowout it had already acknowledged With $2.06 million in pay last financial year, the Snowy Hydro CEO makes about three times the prime minister's salary.The heads of Australia Post, the ABC, NBN Co, and a couple of departmental bosses, including those at Home Affairs and Defence, are also among those paid more than $1 million a year.The independent Remuneration Tribunal determines Snowy Hydro executive salaries.The decision to award bonus pay is made by Snowy Hydro's People & Culture Committee, which recommends an amount to the board for the final say.The corporation says "a clear and direct link between pay and organisation and individual performance" is the core of its remuneration strategy.Snowy Hydro is scheduled to appear before senators at budget estimates hearings on Tuesday.