Energy BPA's future role

Regional Dialogue of 2002

[This page archived to record the process and documents from 2002.]

Overview

A discussion is underway in the region concerning the Bonneville Power Administration's approach to sharing the benefits of the Federal Columbia River Power System (FCRPS) within the Pacific Northwest after 2006. Many important issues will be considered; among them, the long-term access to cost-based federal power by different regional customer groups and Bonneville's resulting role in resource development.

Next steps

June-Oct 2002	PHASE I: Public input Comments and proposals were received through October 18 (see closing letter), and public meetings held in September. See meeting notes from Boise, Missoula, Pasco, Portland, Seattle (all ~100k PDFs)
Oct 2002- Dec 2003	PHASE II: Council draft recommendations to BPA The Council developed draft recommendations to Bonneville and took public comment at its meeting in Portland on December 10. Written comments were accepted until close of business December 9. The Council approved its final recommendations at its December 12 meeting.
Summer/ Fall 2003	PHASE III: BPA drafts proposal BPA will enter into a formal decision making process that will include a draft proposal and a public involvement process including meetings with customers, constituents, tribes, and other interested stakeholders
Late Fall 2003	PHASE IV: BPA final decision BPA will use all the feedback received during the public process to prepare a final policy decision

Background

The Council and the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) want to engage the region in a discussion of how BPA will market the power and distribute the costs and benefits of the Federal Columbia River Power System (FCRPS) in the Pacific Northwest after 2006. Many important issues need to be part of this discussion, such as long-term access to cost-based Federal power by public and investor-owned utilities (IOUs) and direct-service industries (DSIs) in the region, and BPA's future role in resource development. Your input is important now because these regional power customers have asked for clarity about their BPA power supply after 2006 so they can plan more effectively for the future. Accordingly, BPA and the Council are seeking your advice on the development of a creative and sustainable approach to the sale of power from the FCRPS, while ensuring that BPA continues to provide long-term benefits to the Pacific Northwest. At this point, all options are open, from major modifications to how BPA currently sells power, to smaller adjustments to the existing power sales contracts.

A group of utility customers has been working on some of these issues over the past several months, and has developed its preferred approach to these issues (see letter to Congress, 500kb PDF file). However, BPA and the Council want and need to consider a wider set of perspectives when making decisions or recommendations on such policy questions. Therefore, we are inviting broad public participation in this discussion.

This letter initiates a regional public process to determine the best way to market the power of the FCRPS after 2006. BPA and the Council invite you to submit comments and/or proposals regarding the relevant issues. In addition, BPA and the Council will sponsor public meetings in the region where you will be able to ask questions and offer comments. These meetings will provide opportunities to learn about proposals, express ideas, and suggest issues for BPA to consider as it develops its own draft proposal for the region's consideration. BPA anticipates a more formal public process this winter to discuss its draft proposal, which will be followed with a decision most likely in 2003. The Council will also form its recommendations to the region.

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