News

The Willamette Bi-Op Habitat Restoration Project and John Day Watershed Restoration Project are prime examples of local coordination towards improving fish and wildlife habitat.

In a wide-ranging conversation, BPA Administrator John Hairston presented to the Council during its July meeting on topics including a new record high for energy demand that BPA reached earlier this month, and a new agreement in principle on amendments to the Columbia River Treaty between the U.S. and Canada.

June's Council meeting in Helena featured presentations by Montana electric co-operatives, Bonneville Power Administration, and Power Division staff.

The Council approved the Shoshone-Bannock Tribe’s Waterwheel Hatchery Program Step 1 review and a recommendation to Bonneville to fund non-recurring maintenance for fish screens in FY2025.

The U.S. government is modifying hydropower operations on the lower Snake and lower Columbia rivers, providing more hours of spill in the spring and curtailing spill operations in August. In preparation for an upcoming adequacy assessment, Council staff incorporated these changes in modeling to understand the impact to power generation.

Power demand forecasts are showing significant increases in the Pacific Northwest over the next five years, and the Council is closely monitoring the region’s progress on key targets from its 2021 Power Plan and analyzing whether that will ensure that the power supply is keeping pace.

The Northwest River Forecast Center says the runoff and water supply forecast is well below normal in the north of the basin, but above normal in the south.

The Council hosted a discussion on the next phases to study and test the feasibility of reintroducing salmon in the upper Columbia, with tribal members and representatives from several federal agencies presenting.

A panel of long-time regional leaders on energy and fish and wildlife issues shared their thoughts about the significance of the Northwest Power Act and the Council

Meeting the Pacific Northwest’s growing need for power with a shifting mix of energy resources will be a major undertaking on its own. Balancing supply with demand, however, is only one part of the challenge for the Council’s power planning efforts.