NW Natural's Plan for a Carbon Neutral System by 2050
- July 17, 2020
- Carol Winkel
Oregon's legislation opens the door for NW Natural to acquire renewable natural gas for its customers.
Articles by Carol Winkel
Gauging the Impact of Upstream Methane Leaks
- June 22, 2020
- Carol Winkel
At its June Council meeting, Principal Analyst Steven Simmons presented the staff’s recommendation for emission inputs from natural gas and coal production, which will be used in developing the Council’s 2021 Power Plan.
In the Mix: Testing Small Modular Reactors as a Future Energy Source
- June 22, 2020
- Carol Winkel
At the June power committee meeting, Senior Policy Analyst Gillian Charles reviewed the primary generating resource reference plants developed for inclusion in the draft 2021 Power Plan and presented the proposed emerging technology reference plant that will be included as a resource option in the plan’s scenario analysis.
Bonneville Power Administration’s Potential for Achieving Energy Efficiency and Demand Response
- June 22, 2020
- Carol Winkel
At the June power committee meeting, staff presented an update on the supply curves for energy efficiency and demand response they will use to help analyze the resources available to the BPA in meeting its future obligations.
Assessing Future Energy Efficiency
- May 21, 2020
- Carol Winkel
At its May meeting, power division staff presented an assessment of the region’s energy efficiency potential that will be used in the 2021 Power Plan’s resource optimization and scenario analysis.
Regional Technical Forum 2019 Annual Report
- May 20, 2020
- Carol Winkel
The RTF Annual Report was presented at the Council’s May meeting, highlighting the ongoing work to verify energy savings in the Northwest, as well as some new areas to be analyzed.
Electricity Load Outside the Northwest Expected to be Modest; California is a Big Exception
- April 27, 2020
- Carol Winkel
While the northwest load forecast shows moderate growth overall, states pursuing high electrification policies should see significant increases in their load growth. California’s load is expected to increase from 30,000 average megawatts in 2021 to 53,000 average megawatts by 2050 as it strives to decarbonize its economy.
Accounting for Climate Change in the 2021 Power Plan
- April 27, 2020
- Carol Winkel
Climate change affects many aspects of the Council’s analysis for its upcoming regional power plan. At its April meeting, staff reviewed how warming weather will be addressed in analyzing future resource development and energy efficiency.
Demand Response Potential
- March 19, 2020
- Carol Winkel
Demand response is the voluntary and temporary reduction in consumers' electricity use when the power system is stressed, and it's one of the ways the region can meet its peak electricity loads.
Potential for Strong Energy Efficiency Savings
- March 18, 2020
- Carol Winkel
Cost-effective energy efficiency is the priority resource in the Council's regional power plan, and it's now the region's second largest resource after hydropower.
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