March 2009 Issue

2009 Salmon and Steelhead Run Forecasts

Bill Tweit, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, presented (470k PDF) the run forecasts for spring, summer, and fall Chinook, and for sockeye and steelhead. He compared the 2009 forecasts to historical numbers, noting the "fantastic" 2008 sockeye return of over 200,000, and the 2009 forecast, a little lower at 183,800. The total fall Chinook return is forecast to be a little over half a million, and Tweit noted that the lower fall Chinook run could be a future limiting factor.

Revised Wholesale Electricity Price Forecast

Maury Galbraith, resource analyst, presented (470k PDF) the current forecast for wholesale market power prices. Under the medium price assumptions, wholesale power prices at the mid-Columbia trading hub are projected to increase from $45 per megawatt-hour in 2010 to $85 per megawatt-hour in 2030.

Idaho Trends in Salmon and Steelhead Abundance

Paul Kline, Idaho Department of Fish and Game, presented (1.7mb PDF) a 10-year history of salmon and steelhead returns to the lower Snake River. He noted the three-year upward trend that resulted in big returns in 2008. Although  favorable ocean conditions suggest that salmon returns should be good for the next few years, he cautioned that a warming ocean may mean increasing variability.

Bonneville's Smart Grid Pilot Project

Terry Oliver, chief technological innovation officer for the Bonneville Power Administration, briefed (920k PDF) the Council on a pilot project to improve efficiencies in electricity delivery. Oliver, calling smart grid technology the "nexus between Thomas Edison and the Internet," explained how these technological advances have the potential to enhance the efficiency, safety, and reliability of the power system.

See the March Council agenda for more.