Energy Power Supply Outlook

A snapshot of Northwest power supply and electricity demand.

For more information, contact John Fazio.

Power Supply Outlook Update

February 2010 Summary: The likelihood of a significant power shortage over the next five years due to an inadequate supply continues to be minimal. Even if no resource or conservation acquisition actions were taken, the region's power supply will continue to adequately provide for both winter and summer needs. However, without any new resource development, summer reserves become dangerously low by 2015 and would fall below acceptable levels beyond that date.

However, the Council's recently adopted Sixth Power Plan includes a 1,200 average megawatt conservation target for 2015, which, along with renewable resource acquisition activities currently going on, provide more than sufficient amounts of new resources to maintain an adequate supply.

It should be noted that the plan's resource strategy goes beyond simply meeting minimal adequacy requirements toward a goal of developing a cost-effective and risk-averse power supply. And, while actual resource development will vary depending on future conditions, implementation of the strategy should provide for an adequate supply for the Northwest throughout the next 20 years.

Columbia River runoff volume forecast

    Updated biweekly between January and July
Last updated 07-08-2010
  
Figures in million acre-feet Low Avg High
Current forecast 82 
60-year history 53 107 159
    January to July runoff at the Dalles Dam is at 76% of the 30-year average from 1971-2000.

For more narrative information, see the National Weather Service Northwest River Forecast Center. For more data including runoff history, see BPA Hydrology.

Reservoir elevations and flows

    Updated daily
 
Data for
September 1
Elevation
(ft)
Normal Full
Pool (ft)
Avg Sep 1 Elevation
for last 10 years (ft)
Hungry Horse 3547.9 3561.0 3542.9
Libby 2442.0 2459.0 2440.1
Grand Coulee 1277.0 1290.0 1279.1
Dworshak 1533.7 1600.0 1530.5
courtesy of U of W's DART program

 

Data for
September 1
Daily Outflow
(kcfs)
Avg Sep 1 Outflow
for last 10 years (kcfs)
Lower Granite 25.5 23.1
The Dalles 83.7 104.4
courtesy of U of W's DART program
    The 1st table lists elevations for major U.S. reservoirs.

The 2nd table lists river flow at key Lower Snake and Columbia dams.

New Northwest generating resources

    Updated quarterly
Last updated Feb 2009

New resources either recently online or coming online soon.
See how much Northwest power comes from hydropower vs other sources.

Project Location Type Capacity (MW) Energy (MWa) Service Date Note
Under construction
Echo Morrow/Umatilla Co., OR Windpower 65 July 2009 Est. energy
Pebble Springs Arlington, OR Windpower 99 32 Q1 2009 Est. energy
Simpson Tacoma Cogen Tacoma, WA Wood residue steam cogen 55 46 Aug 2009 Est. energy
Wheat Field Arlington, OR Windpower 97 28 Jun 2009 Est. energy
Willow Creek Arlington, OR Windpower 72 23 Feb 2009 Est. energy
Windy Point Goldendale, WA Windpower 136 May 2008 Est. energy
Recently in-service (last 12 months)
Danskin CT1 Mountain Home, ID Natural gas simple cycle gas turbine 170 As dispatched Jun 2008
Diamond Willow Fallon Co, MT Windpower 20 6 Jun 2008 In MRO reliability area; Est. energy
Glacier Wind Energy Toole/Glacier Cty, MT Windpower 107 34 Oct 2008 Est. energy
Goodnoe Hills Klickitat Co., WA Windpower 94 30 Jun 2008 Est. energy
Grays Harbor Satsop, WA Natural gas combined-cycle gas turbine 650 As dispatched Jul 2008  
Hay Canyon Wasco, OR Windpower 100 Dec 2008 Est. energy
Klondike III Wasco Co., OR Windpower 221 71 Mar 2008 Est. energy
Klondike IIIA Wasco Co., OR Windpower 77 25 Sept 2008 Est. energy
Marengo II (Dayton) Columbia Co., WA Natural gas combined-cycle gas turbine 70 23 Jun 2008 Est. energy
Mint Farm Longview, WA Natural gas combined-cycle gas turbine 319 As dispatched Jan 2008 Est. energy
Raft River Cassia Co. ID Geothermal 16 12 Jan 2008 Est. energy
Rattlesnake Road Gilliam Co., OR Windpower 103 33 Dec 2009 Est. energy
More detail > (Jul 2010, 320k  Excel)

Power flow in and out of the region

    Updated daily
Current period: 03AUG10-01SEP10
 
Intertie Avg power flow Direction
California (AC+DC) 3060 mw   export to California
Canada (BC) 809 mw   export to Canada
Total 3869 mw   export 
    This shows how much average power has been imported and exported in the last 30 days.

For more information, see Bonneville's intertie analyses

Acronyms and glossary
DSI - Direct Service Industry, like aluminum processors
intertie - high-voltage transmission lines connecting the Northwest to other regions
KCFS - thousand cubic feet per second
load - demand
MAF - million acre-feet
MW - megawatt
NMFS - National Marine Fisheries Service

More Power Supply reports