An aerial survey by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife in February counted more than 6,000 seals and 1,600 sea lions in the Astoria area, according to a report in The Seattle Times.
Natural gas, wind, and solar power plants are the most significant forms of energy generation that, in combination with improvements in energy efficiency and demand response, will be included in modeling as the Council develops the portfolio of resources to
Ever since the first Northwest Power Plan in 1982, the Council has recognized that consumers have a choice of fuels for their water heaters. The predominant choice is natural gas.
In March, the Council heard feedback from stakeholders about the draft set of scenarios it plans on using in its modeling to develop the Seventh Power Plan. The scenario analysis will help shed light on how different resource strategies will
Columbia River salmon runs should top 2 million fish again in 2015, continuing a trend of record or near-record runs over last decade compared to runs in the 1990s, fish managers reported to the Council this month.
2014 was a record year for salmon in the Columbia River.
The Council's regional portfolio model, which it uses to test different resource strategies against a range of potential futures, is in the final stages in its redevelopment. It's expected to be ready to use by the end of March.
The Council and NOAA Fisheries, the federal agency that implements the Endangered Species Act for Columbia River salmon and steelhead, are compiling existing quantitative goals and objectives for fish recovery and considering how to measure progress toward protecting and restoring
An important element in developing the Seventh Power Plan is a review of the characteristics of generating resources that could be used to meet the region's future electricity needs. The Council assesses the operation and costs of power plants currently
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