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Media Summary
Contact Carol Winkel
for more information. Also see archive.
Overview for July 18 - September 24, 2003
Media coverage of the Council from July 18 through September 24 focused
on the presentation to the Council by Jerry Rust on the reliability of the
Western power grid and the question of whether the West could experience
the kind of blackout that occurred in the Northeast; the Council's name
change; and the federal officials' decision to continue summer spill at
Northwest dams through the end of August.
JULY 18
Judge Gives U.S. Fisheries Agency 1-Year Deadline--The Capital
Press, Salem, OR
Story on Judge Redden's decisions that give NOAA Fisheries less than a
year to prove that its 2000 Biological Opinion will be accomplished by an
array of federal, regional, state and local agencies. Mentions the
Council: "'This is a tight schedule, with or without a judge
checking up every three months,' [Brian] Gorman said, involving agreements
with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Bureau of Reclamation,
Bonneville Power Administration, U.S. Forest Service, Northwest Power
Planning Council..."
Northwest Power Council Study Forecasts Rising Gas Prices--The
Columbia Basin Herald, Moses Lake, WA
AP Story on the Council's regional market analysis. Quotes Council
staff: "'The fact is that gas is just getting more scarce and
more expensive to recover,' said Terry Morlan, manager of economic
analysis for the council." Also appears in The Tribune, Great
Falls, MT; and The Standard Journal, Rexburg, ID.
JULY 23
Power Council Gets A Name Change--The
Idaho Statesman, Boise, ID
Story on the Council's name change: "The council now will be
known as the Northwest Power and Conservation Council."
JULY 24
Martz Sets Up Task Force On Utility Rates--The
Tribune, Great Falls, MT
Story on Gov. Martz's creation of a task force to come up with ideas for
ensuring Montanans have reliable and affordable energy rates.
Mentions the Council: "Martz said John Hines, one of Montana's
two members on the Northwest Power and Conservation Council, will head the
task force and she will name the other members in a few days."
Lower Columbia Fish Recovery Board Launches 45-Day Comment
Period--The Wahkiakum County Eagle, Cathlamet, WA
Story on the LCFRB's development of a comprehensive plan to return the
region's salmon and steelhead to healthy levels. Mentions the
Council: "...the plan will fulfill the requirements for the
Northwest Power and Conservation Council's subbasin fish and wildlife
planning program."
AUGUST 1
Power Council Has New Name--The Capital Press, Salem, OR
Story on the Council's name change: "In an effort to better
reflect what it does, the Northwest Power Planning Council has changed its
name to the Northwest Power and Conservation Council."
AUGUST 3
Hopes Low for NorthWestern, High for Panel, The
Tribune, Great Falls, MT
Editorial on the demise of NorthWestern and the Consumer Energy Protection
Task Force created by Gov. Martz. Quotes Council member John Hines,
heading the task force, "'I'm hoping to get some recommendations
fairly soon as far as how to address the low-income consumer's ability to
pay their bills this winter..."
Irrigators Set Sights on BPA--The
Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA
Op ed on a document drafted by two Northwest irrigator associations that
proposes a public takeover of the Bonneville Power Administration.
Mentions the Council: "At a recent meeting of the Northwest
Power and Conservation Council, which helps set policy for BPA, officials
appeared ready to authorize spills this summer that will cost the agency
$27,000 for every adult fish that returns to the river."
AUGUST 6
Federal Officials Look to Revamp Spill Plans--The
Tri-City Herald, Kennewick, WA
Story on the federal executives' decision to continue summer spill
operations at Northwest dams. Mentions the Council: "A
recent analysis by the Northwest Power and Conservation Council, assigned
with balancing the needs of fish and power generation in the region,
indicated spill programs in August under average water conditions increase
survival by about five fish listed under the Endangered Species Act."
AUGUST 7
Fish Making Way Upriver--The Enterprise, White Salmon, WA
Brief notice on the number of fish moving upstream at two Columbia River
dams. Cites the Council's Fish Passage Center data.
AUGUST 8
Groups Pressing for Regional Ownership of Power System--The Capital
Press, Salem, OR
Story on two irrigator group advocating for Northwest public utilities
to buy the Federal Columbia River Power System. Mentions the Council
in their document: "Twenty years of electric power planning
under the auspices of the Northwest Power Planning Council and other
federal and state entities failed to avoid the electricity crisis of 2001,
and failed entirely to meet the Northwest Power Act's goal of an
'adequate, efficient, economical and reliable power supply,' a failure
common to all long-term state economic planning exercises."
Gas Company Eyes Lexington--The Daily News, Longview, WA
Story on efforts by Cascade Natural Gas to service the rapidly growing
Lexington area between Longview and Castle Rock. Mentions the
Council: "A study for the Northwest Power Planning Council
found that it was more efficient to use natural gas to heat water
directly, rather than burning natural gas to make electricity and then
using electricity to heat water."
AUGUST 9
Work Continues on Umatilla Subbasin Plan--The East Oregonian,
Pendleton, OR
Story on the development of the Umatilla Subbasin's plan for fish and
wildlife recovery: "A consortium of local agencies and private
individuals are at work designing and writing a subbasin plan for the
area."
AUGUST 13
Watershed Planners Eye Long-Range Goal--The Chronicle, The Dalles,
OR
Story on the Wasco County Soil and Water Conservation District's plan that
could influence the number of natural resource improvement projects in the
area for several years. Mentions the Council: "The
district signed a contract with the Northwest Power and Conservation
Council in July to design a long-term restoration strategy for the
Fifteenmile Creek subbasin..."
AUGUST 14
Might Straw Be a Future Energy Source?--The Times, Waitsburg, WA
Story on a Washington State University study that suggests crop residue
from eastern Washington wheat, barley, and grass seed could fuel
generation of about 400 to 425 megawatts of electricity annually.
Mentions the Council: "Meanwhile, power demand in Washington,
Oregon and Idaho has risen 24 percent over the past decade while the
region's capacity to generate power has increased by only four percent,
according to the Northwest Power Planning Council."
AUGUST 15
Yes, It Could Happen Here--The King County Journal, Kent, WA
Story on whether a blackout, similar to the one experienced by the
Northeast, could occur on the West Coast. Quotes Council
staff: "'We're not connected to the East Coast, so their
problem is not our problem,' said John Harrison, an information officer
for the Power and Conservation Council."
AUGUST 16
Northwest Power Grid Vulnerable--The King County Journal, Bellevue,
WA
Story on the Northwest's power grid. Quotes Council staff:
"'There has been ongoing concern for the last decade over the fact
the transmission system, although it operates very well, is getting older
and stressed by continued growth in demand,' said John Harrison, spokesman
for the Northwest Power and Conservation Council."
AUGUST 19
Blacking Out the Chance of Blackout--The
Portland Tribune, Portland, OR
Story on the possibility of blackouts occurring in the Northwest.
Quotes Council staff: "'There's always the chance of something
happening that wasn't anticipated and things going wrong. It
happens,' he [Dick Watson] said. 'The likelihood of it being as
widespread and extensive as it was in the East is probably not as likely,
just by virtue of the fact that we have a much less dense transmission
system than they do in the East."
AUGUST 21
Power Planning Council Changes Name--The Okanogan County Chronicle,
Omak, WA
Story on the Council's name change: "The new name emphasizes
the council's mission to balance the region's energy needs with fish and
wildlife resources in the Columbia River Basin, according to an
announcement from the council."
AUGUST 24
Stretched to the Limit--The
Sunday Oregonian, Portland, OR
Story on the Northwest's power grid and what has been done, and still
needs doing, to improve it. Quotes Council staff: "'What
we learned in '96 is that we are getting really close to the edge,' said
Wally Gibson, manager of system analysis and generation for the Northwest
Power and Conservation Council. The agency of the states of Oregon,
Washington, Idaho and Montana is charged with balancing power generation
and wildlife protection in the Columbia Basin."
AUGUST 27
MVID May Get New Screens--The Methow Valley News, Twisp, WA
Story on the Council's approval of funding for improved fish screens of
two irrigation diversions on the Twisp and Methow rivers: "The
council, formerly called the Northwest Power Planning Council, recommended
that the Bonneville Power Administration provide $957,583 to install the
screens at the Methow Valley Irrigation District's east side canal and
west side canal intakes." Also appears in The Yakama Nation
Review, Toppenish, WA.
Dam Spills Aiding Salmon to Last Through Sunday--The
Columbian, Vancouver, WA
Story on federal officials' decision to continue spill operations through
the end of August. Quotes Council staff: "Bruce Suzumoto,
an analyst for the Northwest Power and Conservation Council in Portland,
said only 500 threatened Snake River fall chinook smolts were expected to
migrate during all of August, and the Army Corps of Engineers is trying to
barge all of those around the dams.
AUGUST 28
Forums Set for Columbia River Plan--The Wahkiakum County Eagle,
Cathlamet, WA
Meeting notice on the management of the mainstem Columbia River and
estuary. Mentions the Council: "As part of the Northwest
Planning Council's subbasin planning process, the management plan will
eventually serve as a primary mechanism to set funding priorities and
drive implementation of programs at a local level." Also
appears in The Daily News, Longview, WA; and The Skamania County Pioneer,
Stevenson, WA.
Salmon Need a Little More Money--The Wenatchee World, Wenatchee, WA
Op ed on the need to continue funding the Pacific Salmon Commission, the
international agency that monitors salmon runs and sets harvest
accordingly. Quotes Council member Larry Cassidy:
"Improving ocean conditions are credited almost entirely with the
healthier salmon runs we see now, but [Larry] Cassidy said that overlooks
a significant factor. 'From the time the treaty was implemented and
reduced interceptions took place, we got an increasing return of
adults...reducing the interception has had a huge beneficial
impact.'"
AUGUST 29
MOA Signed for Montana Easements--The Yakama Nation Review,
Toppenish, WA
Brief notice on the Council's approval of a draft agreement between state
and federal authorities to move forward on fish and wildlife projects in
northwestern Montana: "The Council recommended that the BPA
contribute $1.5 million toward the $13 million appraised value of the
conservation easement."
SEPTEMBER 2
Yakamas Sue BPA Over Cuts in Funds--The Wenatchee World, Wenatchee,
WA
Story on a lawsuit filed by the Yakama Nation claiming that Bonneville
shouldn't have reduced its budget for fish and wildlife projects.
Mentions the Council: "The money is channeled from BPA through
the Northwest Power and Conservation Council as part of efforts to make up
for the impact of federal hydropower dams." Also appears in The
Yakima Herald Republic, Yakima, WA.
SEPTEMBER 4
M-F Council Plans Work Session on Ditch--The Union-Bulletin, Walla
Walla, WA
Story on the Milton-Freewater City Council's consideration to abandon the
Milton Ditch in favor of a project recommended by the Council:
"The Northwest Power and Conservation Council has recommended the BPA
fund the project."
SEPTEMBER 5
Regulation Must Preserve Redundancy--The
Seattle Times, Seattle, WA
Op ed by Council Vice Chair Tom Karier: "The reason that normal
competitive incentives fail so miserably for electric power has much to do
with a simple concept: redundancy. An electric system works
best when there is excess capacity..."
SEPTEMBER 11
Expert: NW Power Grid Safe But Not Foolproof--The
Seattle Times, Seattle, WA
Story on the a presentation to the Council on the reliability of the
Northwest power grid: "It [a power outage like the one that
occurred in the Northeast] could [happen], but the Western electricity
grid has several new safeguards in place that may help it respond to a
major outage, a transmission expert told the Northwest Power and
Conservation Council yesterday." Also appears in The Montana
Standard, Butte, MT; The World, Coos Bay, OR; The Tri-City Herald,
Kennewick, WA; The Daily Journal of Commerce, Portland, OR; The Oregonian,
Portland, OR; The King County Journal, Bellevue, WA; The Mail Tribune,
Medford, OR; The Olympian, Olympia, WA; The Register Guard, Eugene, OR;
The Idaho State Journal, Pocatello, ID; The Union Bulletin, Walla Walla,
WA; The Lewiston Tribune, Lewiston, ID; The Post Register, Idaho Falls,
ID; and The Wahkiakum County Eagle, Cathlamet, WA.
Region Has Had Success Keeping the Lights On--The
Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA
Op ed on the region's efforts to assure the reliability of the power
system. Mentions the presentation to the Council by Jerry
Rust: "'The system worked,' said Jerry Rust, who recounted the
incidents to the Northwest Power and Conservation Council Wednesday."
John Day Subbasin Planning Effort Begins--The Times-Journal, Condon,
OR
Story on the development of the John Day Subbasin plan. Quotes
Oregon Council office staff: "'This is truly a grassroots
effort,' said Karl Weist of the Northwest Planning [sic] and Conservation
Council." Also appears in The Wheeler County News, Spray, OR.
SEPTEMBER 12
Northwest Blackout Called Unlikely--The
Missoulian, Missoula, MT
Story on the presentation to the Council by Jerry Rust: "Jerry
Rust was invited by the Northwest Power and Conservation Council to
discuss the recent blackout and to assess the probability of a similar
outage here."
Epis Inc.: Success on an Energy-Forecasting Tool--The Business
Journal, Portland, OR
Story on the success of Epis Inc. Mentions the Council:
"...Northwest Power and Conservation Council, Epis' first customer,
worked with Epis when the company was creating its first version of
Aurora."
SEPTEMBER 13
Northwest Becoming a Hub for Wind Power--The Daily News, Moscow, ID
Story on the growth in wind generation development. Quotes Council
staff: "The growth of wind energy is, in part due to utilities
facing volatile natural gas prices, said Jeff King, a senior resource
analyst with the Northwest Power Planning Council." Also
appears in The Idaho Statesman, Boise, ID; and The Daily Journal of
Commerce, Seattle, WA.
SEPTEMBER 16
NorthWestern Seeks Chapter 11--The
Great Falls Tribune, Great Falls, MT
Story on NorthWestern's plans to file for bankruptcy and restructure the
finances of its utility that serves more than 300,000 Montana
customers. Quotes Council member John Hines: "John Hines,
one of Montana's two members on the Northwest Power and Conservation
Council, said while bankruptcy is 'not what the state had hoped for,' it
offers a chance for Montana to get a financially strong utility."
SEPTEMBER 17
Debate Begins on Montana Involvement in Bankruptcy--The
Great Falls Tribune, Great Falls, MT
Story on how Montana officials plan to respond to NorthWestern's
bankruptcy and reorganization plan. Quotes Council member John
Hines: "John Hines, a Montana member of the Northwest Power and
Conservation Council and the Martz administration's point man on energy
policy, said talks are under way to determine the best way to coordinate
Montana's role in the bankruptcy."
Feds Keep on Spilling, Spending Millions for Few Salmon
Benefits--The Chinook Observer, Long Beach, WA
Story on the federal officials' decision to reject the Bonneville Power
Administration's proposal to end summer spill at four federal dams on the
Columbia and Snake rivers early. Mentions the Council:
"The statement cited an analysis by the Northwest Power and
Conservation Council that concluding spilling water in August increases by
only five fish the number of Snake River fall Chinook listed under the
Endangered Species Act, while adding about 2,400 more adults to the
Hanford fall run."
Vancouver Native to Direct BPA's Efforts on Salmon--The
Columbian, Vancouver, WA
Story on the appointment of Therese Lamb as chief officer for environment,
fish and wildlife. Quotes Council member Larry Cassidy:
"Larry Cassidy, one of two Washington representatives to the
Northwest Power and Conservation Council, said Lamb has brought a
'business-like' efficiency to the projects funded by Bonneville."
SEPTEMBER 18
KPUD and Utilities Plan Roosevelt Wind Power Facility--The
Goldendale Sentinel, Goldendale, WA
Story on a wind project planned for the Roosevelt area. Quotes
Council staff: "Wind power projects aren't perfect, given the
variability of wind, says John Harrison, of the Northwest Power and
Conservation Council (formerly the Northwest Power Planning
Council)."
SEPTEMBER 19
Record-Setting Salmon Go Through Bonneville--The Capital Press,
Salem, OR
Story on the large number of returning fall chinook salmon at Bonneville
Dam. Mentions the Council: "Dick Erickson, managing
secretary of the East Columbia Basin Irrigation District, said southeast
Washington growers are still constrained by the flow and spill program
established by the 2000 Biological Opinion and the Northwest Power and
Conservation Council's amended fish and wildlife program."
Consultants Huddle on Dispute Over Hydroelectric Plants--The Capital
Press, Salem, OR
Story on PacifiCorp's process to possibly renew its eight Klamath River
hydroelectric plants. Mentions the ecosystem diagnosis and treament
model and the Council: "Called EDT, the model is assembled by
Mobrand Biometrics Inc., a 25-year-old Pacific Northwest consulting firm
that among other things built an environmental model of the massive
Columbia River for the Northwest Power Planning Council."
SEPTEMBER 21
A Wild Recovery--The Sunday
Oregonian, Portland, OR
Story on the Imnaha River and how technology is being used to help restore
salmon runs. Mentions the Council: "The independent
panel, convened by the Northwest Power and Conservation Council, concluded
that population gains from hatchery releases are not likely to persist
once supplementation stops."
SEPTEMBER 24
Another Water Plan--The Daily Argus Observer, Ontario, OR
Story on the development of the Malheur Subbasin plan. Mentions the
Council: "...local watershed groups are now involved in
developing an additional Malheur Subbasin plan under the auspices of the
Northwest Power and Conservation Council."
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