Are Pumped Storage and Renewable Generation a Match?
- December 12, 2019
- Carol Winkel
The potential pairing of two carbon-free resources is creating buzz; the Council's power plan will road test the proposition
Category – Energy
Sizing Up Onshore Wind Generation
- November 18, 2019
- Carol Winkel
Mike Starrett briefed the power committee on how staff will model onshore wind generation in its 2021 regional power plan. Wind is the largest source of renewable energy in the U.S. and the Northwest's second largest renewable resource after hydro generation.
Natural Gas Price Forecast: Abundant supplies, low cost for now
- November 18, 2019
- Carol Winkel
In preparation for the Council's 2021 regional power plan, Senior Economic Analyst Steven Simmons presented analysis on the price forecast for natural gas, which is a strong indicator of electricity prices and resource developments, and is therefore a key input in the Council's modeling.
John Ollis Promoted to Manager of Planning and Analysis
- October 25, 2019
As the manager of planning and analysis, he will be responsible for setting the work priorities for the analysts working on power system modeling.
Not Your Grandfather's Utility
- October 24, 2019
- Carol Winkel
Utilities are selling less electricity as efficiency improves, while still needing to pay for the fixed costs of the power system infrastructure. Debra Smith, general manager and CEO of Seattle City Light, provides insight on this challenge.
Chance of Power Shortfalls Increase as Coal Plants Retire
- September 24, 2019
- Carol Winkel
2024 Resource Adequacy Assessment underscores challenges as region moves away from coal-fired generation
2018 Energy Efficiency Improvements Keep Region On Track Toward Regional Power Plan Goals
- September 20, 2019
- John Harrison
Savings reported for 2018 are equal to the power demand of 164,000 Northwest homes; lighting improvements were a big contributor
Resource Adequacy Symposium is Coming This Fall
- August 26, 2019
- Carol Winkel
Registration is underway for the Resource Adequacy Symposium, hosted by the Northwest Power Pool in Portland on October 2.
Douglas County PUD to Explore Renewable Hydrogen Fuel Production
- August 23, 2019
- Carol Winkel
Could hydrogen be the fuel of the future for vehicles? The Douglas County Public Utility District, which owns and operates Wells Dam on the Columbia River, is waging it could be an important resource to power clean transportation.
A Pile of Retirements: The Next 10 Years for Western Coal Plants
- August 19, 2019
- Ben Kujala
Coal has been used to generate electricity from the beginning of the electric grid. But generating electricity from coal, at least in the West, may become a thing of the past. And utilities' plans indicate the decline of coal generation in the West will be rapid over the next decade.
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