As load forecasts show significant growth in the next five years due to electric vehicles, data centers, and the tech sector in the Pacific Northwest, new data shows key progress on a critical solution: acquiring cost-effective energy efficiency.

For the second time in 2024, the Pacific Northwest has set a new record for peak seasonal power demand. A heatwave that hit the region in early July sent demand on the grid surging to 33,300 MW, which is slightly higher than the previous summer peak of 33,000 MW set during the June 2021 heat dome. In a cold snap that hit in January 2024, the Northwest set the record for winter peak demand at 35,500 MW.

Representatives from BPA, the Lower Columbia Estuary Partnership, the Columbia Land Trust, and the Columbia River Estuary Taskforce presented on habitat restoration projects and ongoing research in the estuary.

While producing the 2021 Power Plan, Council power system analysts kept bumping up against limitations to their old computer models’ ability to do long-term load forecasting among other essential tasks in power planning. To address this issue, in 2023 staff contracted with Itron, a company offering energy forecasting software tools, to upgrade the Council’s long-term load forecasting.