News

The Council’s power plans begin with the premise that the future is uncertain and we can’t really predict what will happen. Managing that risk is central to the Council’s approach to resource planning. Prior to the Council’s formation, this

The Council's advisory committees bring outside advice and diverse perspectives about future energy needs to the work of developing a regional power plan. Committee members come from a variety of organizations, including utilities, state regulatory commissions, tribes, and public interest

The Council uses an integrated resource planning model, called the regional portfolio model, to identify adaptive, least-cost resource strategies for the region.

Relatively low wholesale power prices are forecast to continue, a result of low-cost hydopower and wind generation, flat load growth, and low natural gas prices.The Council's 20-year forecast region is used in developing its regional power plan.

If the circumstantial evidence bears out, adult salmon returning from the ocean to the Columbia River Basin are being killed by seals and sea lions between the estuary and Bonneville Dam in alarming numbers, according to research by NOAA Fisheries.

Assessing different generating resources in order to know the best options for ensuring the region's power supply is a key element of the Council's power plan. The analysis considers things like cost, construction timeline, operation and performance, and regional availability.

This sculpture by Virgil "Smoker" Marchand, a well-known artist and a member of the Colville Confederated Tribes, is at the base of Spokane Falls below the Monroe Street Dam. The sculpture captures some of the major themes of the 2014

Restoring ecosystems and wild fish throughout the Columbia River Basin is a major theme of the latest Columbia River Basin Fish and Wildlife Program, which the Council approved on October 8, 2014.