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The Northwest Power Act requires the Council to develop a plan to ensure an adequate, efficient, economical, and reliable power supply for the region. Working with regional partners and the public, the Council evaluates energy resources and their costs, electricity demand, and new technologies to determine a resource strategy for the region. The Council publishes a power plan about every five years. The Council is working on developing its 9th Power Plan. See the process, methodologies, news updates and more. |
See the Council’s current Power Plan for an adequate, efficient, economical, reliable power supply. It was adopted as major shifts in the Northwest power system were underway. As we prepare for the 9th plan, our mid-term assessment page provides updates on changes in the system and what to anticipate.
Planning for the future grid is becoming more complex with a changing resource mix, increased load growth from electrification and data centers, extreme weather, and more. See how we plan for resource adequacy with economic and resource forecasting, multiple metrics to test adequacy, and modeling tools to simulate power system scenarios.
The Power Act requires the Council to prioritize cost-effective conservation when developing a resource strategy for the region. Since 1980, energy efficiency has been the cornerstone of the Council’s power plans. Demand response also benefits the grid by improving reliability, making loads flexible during peak times, and reducing need to build new power plants.
