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Media Summary
Contact Carol Winkel
for more information. Also see archive.
Overview for January 2-13, 2001
Energy Savings in The Pipeline; With a few equipment modifications,
a local company conserves power and cuts its bill in the process--The
Register Guard, Eugene, OR (Jan 13)
Story on PW Pipe's $200,000 energy conservation project that cut their
electricity use in half. Mentions the Council: "The Northwest Power
Planning Council, the public four-state agency charged with making sure
utilities spend money on energy conservation, estimates there are still
about 2,000 megawatts of electricity that could be saved through
conservation in the Northwest, much of it by factories and commercial
ventures."
No Watts From California; Golden State's own power crunch leaves no
excess for Northwest--The Tri-City
Herald, Kennewick, WA (Jan 13)
Story on the inability of California to send the Northwest electricity
this winter. Quotes Dick Watson: "'We have been planning on this
basis,' said Dick Watson, director of the power planning division for the
Northwest Power Planning Council. 'We would typically assume there would
be some power to get out of California. Our study we did last year
explicitly assumed there would be. That's an assumption that doesn't hold
true.'"
Power Launch; Critics seek streamlined process for building new
power plants--The Puget Sound Business Journal, Seattle, WA (Jan
12)
Story on Washington state's process for evaluating and permitting power
plants. Mentions the Council's forecast: "If the region need to come
up with 3,000 megawatts of electricity supply by 2004, as estimated by the
Northwest Power Planning Council, plants powered by natural gas are likely
to play a major role."
Harvesting the Wind; World's largest wind-generated power plant
takes shape on the Washington-Oregon border--The Columbian, Vancouver, WA (Jan
11)
Story on PacifiCorp's plan to build a wind power plant that will be
able to generate 300 megawatts when completed by the end of the year. In
reference to Bonneville as a potential buyer, the article quotes John
Harrison: "John Harrison, spokesman for the Northwest Power Planning
Council, said federal law requires the BPA to first seek approval from the
four-state power council if the agency proposes to buy more than 50
megawatts over five years."
Democrats rapped by GOP for Absence at Power Meeting--The Odessa
Record, Odessa, WA (Jan 11)
Story on the meeting of the Legislative Council on River Governance and
the absence of democratic legislators. Mentions that "?the
Washington members of the Northwest Power Planning Council were absent,
yet the Oregon, Idaho and Montana members of the power council were on
hand to make presentations?"
Methow Land-use Battle Ends; Area Will Be Protected; The Trust for
Public purchases 1,020 acres in north-central Washington from R.D. Merrill
Co.--The Oregonian, Portland, OR (Jan 10)
Story on the end of a 30-year land-use battle over the control of one of
the largest undeveloped and unpreserved riparian bottomslands in
Washington state. The Council is mentioned in connection with funding:
"The trust will try to secure two additional private buyers and seek
conservation easement funding from the Bonneville Power Administration,
the Northwest Power Planning Council and the state of Washington."
Oregon Lacks Rain, Snow--KPTV Channel 12, Portland, OR (Jan
10)
News story that quotes Dick Watson and mentions the Council:
"Experts at the Northwest Power Planning Council say Columbia River
reservoir levels are so low the region teeters on the edge of taking
extraordinary measures to produce enough power. Situations such as the
extended cold snap could cause a greater drain of hydo electric power
could send the area over the edge. Watson: We're there, we're balanced,
but it's very tenuous."
Power Priorities Listed--KEX Radio, Portland, OR (Jan
10)
Reporter: "Dick Watson with the Northwest Power Planning Council
says a cold snap or shut down power plant or even a transmission line
problem could push the power supply grid into the red. Watson: We have
enough energy in the system to get through this month okay if things don't
depart from normal."
Gov. Locke Seeks Fair Electricity Prices; Calls for ongoing
conservation--The Lake Stevens Journal, Lake Stevens, WA (Jan 10)
Brief run-down on the Washington and Oregon governors' call for
conservation and the events surrounding that request. References the
Council inaccurately: "The northwest [sic] could face an energy
shortage in cold weather this winter, according to a forecast from the
Northwest Planning Council [sic] and the regional Emergency Response
Team."
Region on Edge of Energy Crisis; Power outage, cold snap could
overload utilities--The Olympian, Olympia, WA (Jan 10)
Story on a briefing on the energy situation to the state Senate
Environment, Energy and Water Committee. Quotes Dick Watson: "Tight
energy supplies and higher than normal costs are expected through the
winter and beyond, said Dick Watson, director of the power division of the
Northwest Power Planning Council."
Low Snowpacks Add to NW Woes--The Bellingham Herald, Bellingham, WA (Jan 10)
AP story on the low snowpack in the mountains that feed the Columbia
River--barely half of average. Quotes John Harrison: "'That's really
bad because that's where most of the fuel comes from,' John Harrison, a
spokesman for the Northwest Power Planning Council, said Wednesday."
Also appears in The Olympian, Olympia, WA; The Herald, Everett, WA; The
News Tribune, Tacoma, WA; The Longview Daily News, Longview, WA; The Daily
Journal of Commerce, Seattle, WA; The Seattle Times, Seattle, WA; and The
Columbian, Vancouver, WA; The Skagit Valley Herald, Mount Vernon, WA; The
Sun, Bremerton, WA; and The Daily World, Aberdeen,
Public Funds for the Public Interest?--Methow Valley News, Twisp, WA
(Jan 10)
Editorial about the Arrowleaf property that mentions the land trust's
request for funding from the Council to help acquire the property:
"One potential source of funding is public wildlife mitigation money
from the Northwest Power Planning Council."
Efficient Use of Energy We Have Can Fend Off New Power Plants--The
Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA (Jan 8)
Op Ed by Sara Patton of the Northwest Energy Coalition, advocating a
renewed commitment to conservation as one answer to the West's energy
crisis. Mentions the Council: "According to the Northwest Power
Planning Council's conservative estimate, about 2,400 average megawatts of
cost-effective energy conservation--efficiency measures which cost no more
than building new generation--are there for the taking in our four-state
region."
Saving Energy May Save Us All; Programs to reduce power use may see
a revival in the current crisis--The Register Guard, Eugene, OR (Jan
7)
Story on the resurgence of conservation; quotes Council staff:
"'Conservation just seemed to drop off the planet,' said John
Harrison, a spokesman for the Northwest Power Planning Council, the agency
charged with making sure utilities follow a 1980 law calling for
conservation and development of renewable energy resources."
State Fails to Predict Power Demands; High-tech needs point out
problems facing state and region--The Bellingham Herald, Bellingham, WA (Jan
7)
Editorial chastising the state for not foreseeing the impact of so-called
"server farms" on the power system. Mentions the Council:
"Last March, the Northwest Power Planning Council predicted a 24
percent chance of winter outages in Washington, Idaho, Montana and
Washington by 2003. But somehow the impending arrival of these data
centers for the Internet wasn't foreseen then and so wasn't included in
the estimate."
Northwest Lawmakers Gird for Fight to Keep Electricity; Legislators
pass a resolution that urges states to preserve regional rates as
California endures an energy crisis--The Sunday Oregonian, Portland, OR (Jan
7)
AP story on the need for the Northwest region to present a united front to
preserve Bonneville's low cost energy. Quotes Council members Eric Bloch
and Leo Giacometto. Also appears in The Columbian, Vancouver, WA; The
Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA; The Idaho Statesman, Boise, ID; The
Longview Daily, Longview, WA; The Seattle Times/Post Intelligencer; The
Idaho State Journal, Pocatello, ID; The Post-Register, Idaho Falls, ID;
The Idaho Press-Tribune, Caldwell, ID; The Lewiston Tribune, Lewiston, ID;
The Daily Argus Observer, Ontario, OR; The Sun, Bremerton, WA; The Herald
& News, Klamath Falls, OR; The Capital Press; The Walla Walla
Union-Bulletin, Walla Walla, WA; and El Hispanic, Portland, OR.
Not All Federal Regulation Are Created Equal--The Spokesman Review,
Spokane, WA (Jan 7)
Op Ed that suggests caution with respect to deregulation of utilities,
and quotes Council member Tom Karier: "'Deregulation of the utilities
has not produced more reliable power, or better service, or lower prices,'
Karier observed. 'It's just the opposite.'" Also appears in The Daily
Record, Ellensburg, WA.
Conservation Crucial to Averting Crisis; Governors plead with energy
users to cut back significantly or suffer price hikes, shortages--The
Columbian, Vancouver, WA (Jan 6)
Story on the efforts of Governors Kitzhaber and Locke to encourage people
to reduce their energy consumption amid the current market volatility and
low snow pack and rainfall this year. Quotes Council staff: "On
Thursday, a federal-state energy emergency response team decided the
Northwest has the ability to generate just enough power to meet demand.
But that could change, said Dick Watson, director of the power planning
division for the Northwest Power Planning Council in Portland."
Governors Ask Again for Conservation--The News, Springfield, OR (Jan 6)
Story on call for conservation by Governors Kitzhaber and Locke.
Mentions the Council: "The call comes a day after the Northwest Power
Planning Council and the regional energy Emergency Response Team concurred
in a forecast that showed the Northwest could face an energy shortage due
to the relatively dry winter."
Locke, Kitzhaber Promote Conservation--KPAM Radio, Portland, OR (Jan 5)
Newscaster: "The governors of Oregon and Washington will use
Bonneville Dam as a backdrop later on this morning when they ask all of us
to conserve energy. The Northwest Power Planning Council's Dick Watson
says we're still unable to draft electricity from other regions as we have
in past winters?'We don't have the safety net that we normally have in
terms of being able to purchase power from California and British
Columbia. So, everybody should be keeping their fingers crossed, and the
other thing everybody should be doing is not forgetting the message about
conservation.'"
Power Outlook Okay--KPAM Radio, Portland, OR (Jan 5)
Reporter: "Western power managers held another teleconference
this morning amid fears that the Northwest might face an electricity
crisis. But they got some good news, according to Dick Watson of the
Northwest Power Planning Council?'It's tight, very tight, but for the
moment, we would describe it as safe.'"
Low Snowpack Report Helps Prompt Energy Measures--The Herald,
Everett, WA (Jan 4)
Story on Governor Locke's steps to address Washington state's energy
situation. Notes of the Council: "As Locke keeps watch on the
numbers, members of the Northwest Power Planning Council's Emergency
Response Team, which is charged with reporting on the reliability of area
energy supplies, will examine similar reports during a conference call
this morning."
Electric Bills May Jump 20%; Clark Public Utilities manager seeks
rate hike by mid-month--The Columbia, Vancouver, WA (Jan 3)
Story on proposed rate increase; mentions the Council's forecast:
"The Northwest Power Planning Council estimates that the region will
need about 3,000 more megawatts of capacity, equivalent to more than 10
power plants like Clark's."
Arrowleaf Site Sells; Land trust buys property but questions
remain--The Methow Valley News, Twisp, WA (Jan 3)
Story on the Trust for Public Lands' acquisition of the Arrowleaf
property. Describes at some length the TPL's request for funding from the
Council: "TPL had also sought 'emergency' funding from the Northwest
Power Planning Council, which in December voted 4-2 not to provide $3.75
million to purchase fish habitat on portions of the Arrowleaf site along
the Methow River."
Agenda 2001: Add energy, politics to list--The Tri-City Herald,
Kennewick, WA (Jan 2)
Editorial urging Northwest leaders to protect the region's low-cost power
and ensure Bonneville's future. Mentions the Council: "Not even the
Northwest Power Planning Council seemed fully aware of the extent of the
problem until early 2000, when it issued a report warning there is a 24
percent chance power supply will fail to meet demand at some point by
2003."
NW Power Officials Keep Close Guard of Hot Commodity--The Tri-City
Herald, Kennewick, WA (Jan 2)
The third installment of an excellent three-part series on the energy
crisis. This segment focuses on the efforts of congressional lawmakers
from the Northeast and Mid-west, and most recently, from California as
well, to gain access to Bonneville's low cost electricity. The story also
depicts the conflicting interests in the Northwest that have so far
prevented the region from presenting a unified stance: "With the
exception of Washington's political elite, consensus remains that the
Northwest should come up with some sort of plan. Stakeholders agree they
need to unite even as they duke it out in contract negotiations."
Mentions the Council and its role: "Washington state Rep. Kelli
Linville, who sits on an interstate council of lawmakers that is
discussing strategies, is critical of the state's passive stance. She
believes the four states could exert more influence over Bonneville
through the Northwest Power Planning Council without having to buy the
agency or force painful talks about reallocating its power."
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