News

The ubiquitous compact fluorescent bulb, which played a major role in improving the efficiency of electricity use and lowering consumers’ bills in the Northwest, was an emerging technology just 20 years ago. Today the hunt for new technologies must continue

Langley Gulch Power Plant in southwest IdahoOne of the trends since the release of the Council's Sixth Power Plan in 2010 has been reduced carbon emissions from the electricity sector.In a recent presentation on CO2 emissions, Power Division Director

In 2011, the Pacific Northwest set a new annual record for energy efficiency improvements -- and did so for one-fourth the cost of power from the most efficient new generating plants, according to a Council survey of the region’s electric

Since the Council released its Sixth Power Plan in 2010, a lot has happened.The mid-term assessment of the plan, a blueprint to an economical and reliable power system, will take stock of the changes and how they affect the Council's

Rhonda Whiting, a Montana member and vice chair of the Northwest Power and Conservation Council, assumed the chairmanship of the four-state energy and fish and wildlife planning agency this month, taking the place of Oregon member Joan Dukes who resigned

The Council has released a revised forecast for fuel prices. The important message for consumers is that the downward price forecast for natural gas should help keep electricity prices down as well.New technologies to access natural gas trapped in

Demand for electricity in the Northwest continues to recover from the recession of 2008, growing slowly but steadily by about 1.2 percent per year over last two years, according to an analysis by the Council. The Council analysis also shows

As little as thirty years ago, the only resources energy planners considered to meet future demand were coal and nuclear. People couldn't imagine any other options.Today, the Pacific Northwest uses other kinds of generation. The system is still hydro-based, with

The Council has recommended construction of a new hatchery to boost production of Snake River sockeye salmon, an endangered species, and continue a long-term effort to rebuild the population to naturally spawning, self-sustaining levels.

The growth in electricity demand from the big computer data centers that store your Facebook posts and help you search the Internet with Google or utilize Apple’s "cloud" storage is growing as anticipated in the Northwest, according to an analysis