Welcome!

This is the first issue of the Council's Monthly Spotlight e-newsletter.  Each month, you'll receive news about current and upcoming Council activities, decisions, news from state offices, and stories on energy and the environment.

December 2003 Issue

• Presentation by NOAA Fisheries' Regional Director
• Update on 2004 Summer Spill Evaluations
• Bonneville's Future Role as a Power Provider
• Draft Issue Paper on the Region's Electricity Transmission System

Presentation by NOAA Fisheries' Regional Director
Regional Director Bob Lohn addressed the Council to report on the status of the 2000 Biological Opinion remand.  He said a new draft of the BiOp is scheduled for release in March 2004; the final version is scheduled for release in June 2004.  During his presentation he also indicated his support of the Council's approach to testing summer spill, and he emphasized the "absolute necessity" of subbasin planning to recovery efforts in the Columbia River Basin.  He stressed the importance of this process in identifying limiting factors and in determining practical, on-the-ground actions to address them.

Update on 2004 Summer Spill Evaluations
The Council's mainstem amendments call for "tests to examine the benefits of the current summer spill program for outmigrating juvenile fall chinook, and to determine whether the biological benefits can be achieved in a more effective and less costly manner."  Council members were updated on the progress of workgroups assigned to plan and implement these tests.  A decision from the federal dam operators is expected later this month or in January.

Bonneville's Future Role as a Power Provider
The issue of Bonneville's role as a power provider has been under discussion for several years, and the Council released for public comment its latest issue paper on the topic to re-energize the discussion and guide the region's decisionmaking.  The issue paper outlines the problems Bonneville and the region have faced in recent years and concludes that these problems are likely to continue unless Bonneville's role in marketing federal power changes.  The Council took public comments on this issue at its December meeting.

Draft Issue Paper on the Region's Electricity Transmission System
The Council approved for release to the public a draft issue paper on the Northwest's transmission system.  The paper provides an educational overview of how the transmission system is currently being operated and managed, and how the changing electricity market is affecting the system.  The paper describes some key problems facing the system and identifies important characteristics for a well-functioning electrical system.
 

Coming Up

• Jan 20 Council Meeting
   

State News

Montana

• Jan 9
  Governor's Energy Consumer Protection Task Force, Helena, Capitol Building

Oregon

• Jan 8
  8 a.m., Subbasin Planning Coordination Group Meeting, Portland, Large Conference Room

For more, visit www.nwcouncil.org.

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