March 2010 Issue
See all presentations from the March Council meeting.
Assessing the Impact of Unbundled Renewable Energy Credits on the Region's Power System
Jeff King, senior resource analyst, discussed (60k PDF) with the power committee a proposed assessment of the implications of an unbundled renewable energy credit market on the Northwest. As states, particularly California, move toward more aggressive renewable portfolio standards, interest in meeting them with partially or fully unbundled RECs will increase. The impact of this on the region is unclear, and the Council's power plan calls for an assessment to better understand how such a market would work, its costs and benefits, and identify potential issues and how they could be resolved. The first phase of the work will begin in April and and is expected to last about six months, producing a paper describing the possible economic and technical effects of an unbundled REC market on the Northwest's power system.
Forecast 2010 Salmon Returns Look Good Overall
Bill Tweit, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife and Ed Schriever, Idaho Department of Fish and Game, presented the latest information on the 2010 adult salmon and steelhead run forecasts for the Columbia and Snake rivers. Overall, it's a strong forecast for Chinook and sockeye, with average abundance for coho in the Columbia River. Schriever noted that the forecast of 179,000 for Chinook in the Snake River would set a new record, noting that Idaho "...was moving in the right direction. They also reviewed the 2009 returns. Tweit presentation (1mb PDF), Schriever presentation (1.7mb PDF), YouTube video.
Council Moves Mid-Columbia Coho Restoration Project Ahead, But On Condition Sponsors Revise Master Plan
Council members voted 6 to 2 to approve funding that would allow the coho project (8mb PDF) to proceed to the next steps in its design work. The project's goal is to re-establish naturally spawning coho populations in mid-Columbia tributaries for sustainable and significant harvest. Oregon Council members Melinda Eden and Joan Dukes voted against funding, noting that the Council's Independent Scientific Review Panel disagreed with how the project sponsors proposed using broodstock. However, the majority felt that the design work could go ahead until the updated master plan came up for review.
New Website Makes Data and Information on the Council's Fish and Wildlife Program Easy to Find and Understand
Ben Zelinsky, Bonneville Power Administration and Matt Deniston and Dal Marsters, Sitka Technology, demonstrated a new website, www.cbfish.org, designed to make project and funding information about the 600+ fish and wildlife projects in the Council's program more accessible. The site offers a wealth of data for fish managers and decisionmakers, but also for the general public to gain a big-picture understanding of what kinds of projects are happening, where, and what they have accomplished.
Coming Up
- April 13-15: Council meeting in Boise
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