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Press release |
Contact: John Harrison, spokesman, 800-452-5161 March 27, 2001 Actions needed now to avoid future power supply problems2001 could be the driest year on recordPORTLAND -- Northwest dam operations this spring and summer will affect the likelihood of power supply problems this summer and also determine whether storage reservoirs refill sufficiently to ensure adequate power next winter, according to a technical analysis of the impact of drought on the region’s power supply. "The water conditions we are facing this year give us few options," said Larry Cassidy of Vancouver, Washington, Chairman of the Northwest Power Planning Council. According to the analysis, prepared by Power Planning Council staffers whose expertise includes engineering, physics and economics, reducing the amount of water spilled over Columbia and Snake river dams this spring and summer, along with continued use of "emergency hydro operations," would help ease potential power supply problems. These steps need to be combined with a number of other actions including accelerated energy conservation and demand-reduction efforts, and installation of emergency generators. Water spills at dams and river flow targets, both of which are intended to help threatened and endangered species of salmon and steelhead migrate to the ocean, are recommended by the National Marine Fisheries Service in its 2000 Biological Opinion (BiOp) on dam operations. Spilled water can’t be used to generate electricity, and that is a critical consideration this year, which is shaping up as the driest or second-driest on record in the region. Meeting the flow targets requires holding water in reservoirs for later release, even though it may be needed for power generation. Emergency hydro drafts the reservoirs below the levels established for the flow targets to generate additional power when there is no other alternative. In response to the analysis, the Council directed its staff to prepare a river operations proposal for discussion at the Council’s next meeting, April 4 in Boise. At that meeting, the Council also will be briefed by federal agencies on their plans for river operations this spring and summer. The Biological Opinion river operations begin April 15 and last through the summer. "If we have 1977 water conditions and implement the full spill and flow program as outlined in the Biological Opinion, the region could lose almost 8,000 megawatt months of electricity -- enough for Seattle for more than six months -- and incur a cost to replace that power of more than $1.4 billion. Or we could maintain spill and risk digging dangerously deep into our storage reservoirs by relying solely on emergency hydro and run the risk of not refilling for next year," Cassidy said. "Our best option probably is to take our medicine now by curtailing some spill and using that water to generate power and ensure that the reservoirs refill for next winter’s peak electricity use. Reduced spill and use of emergency hydro should not be the end of the story. These actions need to be combined with energy conservation, demand-reduction efforts and emergency generation. Based on our staff’s analysis, the Council has developed a set of actions that will put us in a better position next year to deal with whatever water conditions are thrown at us." The bottom lineThe Northwest can reduce the risk of power blackouts next winter and ensure there is enough water in storage reservoirs to aid fish migration in 2002 by:
Policy recommendations based on the analysis
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