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    Integrating energy and the environment in the Columbia River Basin

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    The Council works to protect and enhance fish and wildlife in the Columbia River Basin. Its Fish & Wildlife Program guides project funding by the Bonneville Power Administration.

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  • Energy

    The Council develops a plan, updated every five years, to ensure the region’s power supply and acquire cost-effective energy efficiency.

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    THE NORTHWEST POWER PLAN

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  • Meetings
    See next Council meeting January 14 - 15, 2020 in Portland › See all meetings ›

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    • Jun 2019 Tue 18
      9:00 am—4:00 pm RTF Meeting: June 18, 2019 9:00 am—11:00 am Hatchery Workgroup
    • Jun 2019 Mon 24
      9:00 am—12:00 pm Council Work Session for Fish and Wildlife Program Amendments
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      10:30 am—12:00 pm Asset Management Subcommittee
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      9:00 am—4:00 pm RTF Meeting: July 23, 2019
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      9:30 am—3:30 pm Conservation Resources Adv. Committee - 2021 Power Plan
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      1:00 pm—5:00 pm Regional Coordination Forum
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      5:00 pm—6:30 pm Public Hearing on Proposed Amendments to the Fish and Wildlife Program
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      9:00 am—3:00 pm Generating Resources / System Analysis Advisory Committees meeting
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      9:30 am—3:45 pm Demand Response Advisory Committee 5:00 pm—6:30 pm Public Hearing on Proposed Amendments to the Fish and Wildlife Program
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      5:00 pm—6:30 pm Public Hearing on Proposed Amendments to the Fish and Wildlife Program
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      1:30 pm—3:30 pm Resource Adequacy Advisory Committee - Technical Committee
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      9:00 am—4:00 pm RTF Meeting: August 27, 2019
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      10:00 am—11:00 am RAAC Steering Committee WEBINAR
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      12:00 pm—1:30 pm Columbia Basin Habitat RM&E Strategy Webinar
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      5:00 pm—6:30 pm Public Hearing on Proposed Amendments to the Fish and Wildlife Program
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      9:00 am—4:00 pm RTF Meeting: September 24, 2019
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      9:00 am—3:00 pm Generating Resources Advisory Committee
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      5:00 pm—6:30 pm Public Hearing on Proposed Amendments to the Fish and Wildlife Program
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      1:00 pm—4:00 pm Large-group Technical Consultation on the Fish and Wildlife Program
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      5:00 pm—6:30 pm Public Hearing on Proposed Amendments to the Fish and Wildlife Program
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      9:00 am—4:00 pm RTF Meeting: October 22, 2019
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      9:00 am—12:00 pm Columbia Basin Habitat RM&E Strategy Workshop - The Dalles 1:00 pm—3:00 pm Informal Hatchery Workgroup
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      9:30 am—3:00 pm Generating Resources Advisory Committee
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      9:00 am—11:00 am Proposal Form Webinar - Resident Fish and Sturgeon Review
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      12:30 pm—3:30 pm Columbia Basin Habitat RM&E Strategy Workshop - Wenatchee
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      9:00 am—4:00 pm RTF Meeting: November 19, 2019
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      5:30 pm—7:30 pm Town Hall Meeting on Modernizing the Columbia River Treaty
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      9:00 am—4:00 pm RTF Meeting: December 17, 2019
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      9:00 am—12:00 pm Natural Gas Advisory Comm. Webinar
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      1:30 pm—4:30 pm System Analysis Advisory Comm. WEBINAR
    • Jan 2020 Tue 07
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    • Jan 2020 Tue Wed 14 - 15
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      9:00 am—4:00 pm RTF Meeting: January 22, 2020
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      1:00 pm—4:00 pm System Analysis Advisory Comm. WEBINAR
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      9:00 am—4:00 pm RTF Meeting: February 19, 2020
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      9:00 am—4:00 pm RTF Meeting: March 24, 2019
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      9:00 am—4:00 pm RTF Meeting: April 21, 2020
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      9:00 am—4:00 pm RTF Meeting: May 19, 2020
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  • Reports and Documents

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Close

2018 Energy Efficiency Improvements Keep Region On Track Toward Regional Power Plan Goals

September 20, 2019
John Harrison

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The Northwest is currently on track to meet efficiency goals in the Seventh Northwest Power Plan (2016) after achieving an estimated 228 average megawatts of savings in 2018, Council staff reported at the Council’s September meeting in Corvallis, Oregon. Expressed as demand for power, that would be enough for about 164,000 Northwest homes.

In February 2016, the Council released its Seventh Northwest Power Plan. The Plan identifies the energy efficiency savings potential in the Northwest and establishes regional savings goals for every two years. The region has achieved an estimated 637 average megawatts from 2016 through 2018. That is ahead of the implied three-year milestone in the Seventh Plan of 600 average megawatts. Goals in the Seventh Plan are 1,400 average megawatts of savings through Fiscal year 2021 and a 20-year total of 4,300 average megawatts through 2035.

The Council’s annual conservation progress survey collects data on energy efficiency savings from efficiency programs administered by investor-owned and public utilities; the Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance (NEEA), a collaboration of 140 utilities and efficiency organizations that works on promoting energy-efficient products and services; federal and state energy codes and standards; and market momentum, which are additional savings in the market above and beyond those achieved by efficiency programs or NEEA.

While the region currently is on track to meet Seventh Plan goals, there are some areas to watch including forecasts of declining savings from efficiency programs and whether the region will identify new savings opportunities to replace those of residential lighting.

Utilities’ achievements in energy efficiency have been on an annual decline since 2016. Forecasts from utilities show that this trend is expected to continue, despite relatively stable funding levels. Given this trend, there is some uncertainty as to whether there will be enough savings from other mechanisms to reach the 1,400 average megawatt goal by the end of Fiscal Year 2021.

As in recent years, residential lighting provided significant, and increasing, savings in 2018, totaling 39 average megawatts. Despite success in lighting, the Council expects lighting savings will decline beginning in 2020 because as ever more efficient lamps enter the market, the base against which savings are measured becomes more efficient, as well, and that leaves less room for measurable improvements. Beyond lighting, significant efficiency potential remains in the residential sector. Shifting the emphasis toward heating, ventilation, and air conditioning, and water heating, will help in meeting the efficiency potential.

 

Efficiency continues to contribute significant capacity savings – the ability to reduce peak loads. Energy efficiency has provided almost 6,900 average megawatts of savings since 1978. That is equivalent to the annual energy consumption of around 5.5 million homes. By building that much energy efficiency rather than building new power plants that burn fossil fuels, the region has avoided emissions totaling more than 21.9 million metric tons of carbon dioxide.

Topics: 
Energy

Related News

Nov 18, 2019

Sizing Up Onshore Wind Generation

Mike Starrett briefed the power committee on how staff will model onshore wind generation in its 2021 regional power plan. Wind is the largest source of renewable energy in the U.S. and the Northwest's second largest renewable resource after hydro generation.

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Nov 18, 2019

Natural Gas Price Forecast: Abundant supplies, low cost for now

In preparation for the Council's 2021 regional power plan, Senior Economic Analyst Steven Simmons presented analysis on the price forecast for natural gas, which is a strong indicator of electricity prices and resource developments, and is therefore a key input in the Council's modeling.

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Nov 1, 2019

NEEA's 2019 Leadership in Energy Efficiency Awards Honor Charlie Grist and Tina Jayaweera

The Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance's 2019 Leadership in Energy Efficiency awards honors individuals and teams for their outstanding collaboration, innovative solutions, and significant contributions to advancing energy efficiency in the Northwest.

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Oct 25, 2019

John Ollis Promoted to Manager of Planning and Analysis

As the manager of planning and analysis, he will be responsible for setting the work priorities for the analysts working on power system modeling.

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