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    Integrating energy and the environment in the Columbia River Basin

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  • Fish and Wildlife

    The Council works to protect and enhance fish and wildlife in the Columbia River Basin. Its Fish & Wildlife Program guides project funding by the Bonneville Power Administration.

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    The Fish and Wildlife Program

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  • Energy

    The Council develops a plan, updated every five years, to ensure the region’s power supply and acquire cost-effective energy efficiency.

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    THE NORTHWEST POWER PLAN

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    TECHNICAL TOOLS AND MODELS

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  • Meetings
    See next Council meeting January 14 - 15, 2020 in Portland › See all meetings ›

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    Recent and Upcoming Meetings

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    • Jun 2019 Tue 18
      9:00 am—4:00 pm RTF Meeting: June 18, 2019 9:00 am—11:00 am Hatchery Workgroup
    • Jun 2019 Mon 24
      9:00 am—12:00 pm Council Work Session for Fish and Wildlife Program Amendments
    • Jun 2019 Thu 27
      10:30 am—12:00 pm Asset Management Subcommittee
    • Jul 2019 Tue Wed 16 - 17
      Council Meeting
    • Jul 2019 Tue 23
      9:00 am—4:00 pm RTF Meeting: July 23, 2019
    • Jul 2019 Thu 25
      9:30 am—3:30 pm Conservation Resources Adv. Committee - 2021 Power Plan
    • Aug 2019 Mon 12
      1:00 pm—5:00 pm Regional Coordination Forum
    • Aug 2019 Tue Wed 13 - 14
      Council Meeting
    • Aug 2019 Tue 13
      5:00 pm—6:30 pm Public Hearing on Proposed Amendments to the Fish and Wildlife Program
    • Aug 2019 Tue 20
      9:00 am—3:00 pm Generating Resources / System Analysis Advisory Committees meeting
    • Aug 2019 Wed 21
      9:30 am—3:45 pm Demand Response Advisory Committee 5:00 pm—6:30 pm Public Hearing on Proposed Amendments to the Fish and Wildlife Program
    • Aug 2019 Thu 22
      5:00 pm—6:30 pm Public Hearing on Proposed Amendments to the Fish and Wildlife Program
    • Aug 2019 Mon 26
      1:30 pm—3:30 pm Resource Adequacy Advisory Committee - Technical Committee
    • Aug 2019 Tue 27
      9:00 am—4:00 pm RTF Meeting: August 27, 2019
    • Aug 2019 Fri 30
      10:00 am—11:00 am RAAC Steering Committee WEBINAR
    • Sep 2019 Tue 10
      9:30 am—12:30 pm Demand Forecast Advisory Committee
    • Sep 2019 Wed 11
      9:30 am—12:00 pm RTF Policy Advisory Committee Meeting
    • Sep 2019 Thu 12
      12:00 pm—1:30 pm Columbia Basin Habitat RM&E Strategy Webinar
    • Sep 2019 Tue Wed 17 - 18
      Council Meeting
    • Sep 2019 Tue 17
      5:00 pm—6:30 pm Public Hearing on Proposed Amendments to the Fish and Wildlife Program
    • Sep 2019 Tue 24
      9:00 am—4:00 pm RTF Meeting: September 24, 2019
    • Sep 2019 Wed 25
      9:00 am—3:00 pm Generating Resources Advisory Committee
    • Sep 2019 Mon 30
      5:00 pm—6:30 pm Public Hearing on Proposed Amendments to the Fish and Wildlife Program
    • Oct 2019 Tue 01
      10:00 am—12:00 pm Demand Response Adv. Comm. Webinar - Draft Residential DR Product Assumptions 1:30 pm—4:30 pm Columbia Basin Habitat RM&E Strategy Workshop #1 5:00 pm—6:30 pm Public Hearing on Proposed Amendments to the Fish and Wildlife Program 5:00 pm—6:30 pm Public Hearing on Proposed Amendments to the Fish and Wildlife Program
    • Oct 2019 Tue 08
      1:00 pm—4:00 pm Large-group Technical Consultation on the Fish and Wildlife Program
    • Oct 2019 Tue Wed 15 - 16
      Council Meeting
    • Oct 2019 Tue 15
      5:00 pm—6:30 pm Public Hearing on Proposed Amendments to the Fish and Wildlife Program
    • Oct 2019 Tue 22
      9:00 am—4:00 pm RTF Meeting: October 22, 2019
    • Oct 2019 Wed 23
      9:00 am—12:00 pm Columbia Basin Habitat RM&E Strategy Workshop-Boise
    • Oct 2019 Thu 24
      9:30 am—3:30 pm Conservation Resources Advisory Committee
    • Oct 2019 Mon 28
      9:00 am—12:00 pm Columbia Basin Habitat RM&E Strategy Workshop - The Dalles 1:00 pm—3:00 pm Informal Hatchery Workgroup
    • Oct 2019 Tue 29
      9:30 am—3:00 pm Generating Resources Advisory Committee
    • Oct 2019 Wed 30
      9:30 am—3:45 pm Demand Response Advisory Committee
    • Nov 2019 Wed 06
      9:30 am—2:30 pm System Analysis Advisory Committee
    • Nov 2019 Tue Wed 12 - 13
      Council Meeting
    • Nov 2019 Wed 13
      1:00 pm—4:00 pm Columbia Basin Habitat RM&E Strategy Workshop - Portland
    • Nov 2019 Thu 14
      9:00 am—11:00 am Proposal Form Webinar - Resident Fish and Sturgeon Review
    • Nov 2019 Mon 18
      12:30 pm—3:30 pm Columbia Basin Habitat RM&E Strategy Workshop - Wenatchee
    • Nov 2019 Tue 19
      9:00 am—4:00 pm RTF Meeting: November 19, 2019
    • Dec 2019 Wed 04
      9:00 am—2:30 pm Conservation Resources Advisory Committee
    • Dec 2019 Thu 05
      9:00 am—11:00 am Proposal Form Webinar - Resident Fish and Sturgeon Review
    • Dec 2019 Fri 06
      9:30 am—3:00 pm Generating Resources Advisory Committee
    • Dec 2019 Tue 10
      Council Meeting via Webinar
    • Dec 2019 Thu 12
      9:30 am—3:30 pm Demand Response Advisory Committee
    • Dec 2019 Mon 16
      5:30 pm—7:30 pm Town Hall Meeting on Modernizing the Columbia River Treaty
    • Dec 2019 Tue 17
      9:00 am—4:00 pm RTF Meeting: December 17, 2019
    • Dec 2019 Wed 18
      9:00 am—12:00 pm Natural Gas Advisory Comm. Webinar
    • Dec 2019 Thu 19
      1:30 pm—4:30 pm System Analysis Advisory Comm. WEBINAR
    • Jan 2020 Tue 07
      9:00 am—3:00 pm Generating Resource Advisory Committee
    • Jan 2020 Tue Wed 14 - 15
      Council Meeting
    • Jan 2020 Wed 22
      9:00 am—4:00 pm RTF Meeting: January 22, 2020
    • Jan 2020 Thu 23
      1:00 pm—4:00 pm System Analysis Advisory Comm. WEBINAR
    • Jan 2020 Wed 29
      9:30 am—3:30 pm Conservation Resources Advisory Committee
    • Feb 2020 Mon 10
      12:00 pm—5:00 pm Regional Coordination Forum
    • Feb 2020 Tue Wed 11 - 12
      Council Meeting
    • Feb 2020 Wed 19
      9:00 am—4:00 pm RTF Meeting: February 19, 2020
    • Feb 2020 Thu 20
      9:30 am—3:30 pm Demand Response Advisory Committee
    • Mar 2020 Fri 13
      9:00 am—3:00 pm RTF Policy Advisory Committee Meeting
    • Mar 2020 Tue Wed 17 - 18
      Council Meeting
    • Mar 2020 Tue 24
      9:00 am—4:00 pm RTF Meeting: March 24, 2019
    • Mar 2020 Tue 31
      9:30 am—3:30 pm Conservation Resources Advisory Committee
    • Apr 2020 Tue Wed 14 - 15
      Council Meeting
    • Apr 2020 Tue 21
      9:00 am—4:00 pm RTF Meeting: April 21, 2020
    • May 2020 Tue Wed 12 - 13
      Council Meeting
    • May 2020 Tue 19
      9:00 am—4:00 pm RTF Meeting: May 19, 2020
    • Jun 2020 Fri 05
      9:00 am—3:00 pm RTF Policy Advisory Committee Meeting
    View Council Meetings View all Meetings
  • Reports and Documents

    Browse reports and documents relevant to the Council's work on fish and wildlife and energy planning, as well as administrative reports.

    Browse reports

    Reports by Topic

    • Power Plan
    • Fish and Wildlife Program
    • Subbasin Plans
    • Financial Reports
    • Independent Scientific Advisory Board
    • Independent Scientific Review Panel
    • Independent Economic Analysis Board

    Columbia River History Project

Close

Energy Efficiency Improvements in 2013 Add to Impressive Regional Savings

October 7, 2014
John Harrison

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The Pacific Northwest improved its electric energy efficiency in 2013 by 268 average megawatts, an amount equal to the annual electricity demand of about 180,500 Northwest homes.

Adding that accomplishment to regional energy efficiency improvements since 1980, when the Northwest Power Act made energy efficiency the primary means of meeting new demand in the region, the total now stands at 5,600 average megawatts, enough to power Oregon and western Montana. In terms of savings, 34 years of energy efficiency improvements mean that Northwest ratepayers are spending about $3.5 billion less per year for electricity today.

conservation achivements

Energy efficiency is now the second-largest resource in the Pacific Northwest, behind only hydropower. Total regional investment in energy efficiency in 2013 was $375 million (2006 dollars). The investment was a bargain compared to the cost of building new power plants. The average cost of efficiency improvements was about $17 per megawatt-hour, about five times less than the cost of power from a new gas-fired plant.

“The 2013 savings add to a tremendous legacy of achievement for the region over last 34 years,” Council Chair Bill Bradbury said. “It's phenomenal to achieve so much in terms of reducing demand for power at such a low cost to our region’s ratepayers.”

The Northwest Power and Conservation Council compiled the savings estimates from data gathered by the Council’s Regional Technical Forum from 80 electric utilities, the Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance, the Energy Trust of Oregon, Pacific Northwest Generating Cooperative, and others.

The 2013 achievements exceeded the target in the Council’s Sixth Northwest Power Plan by eight average megawatts. Annual targets have been exceeded every year since 2005.

In 2013, efficiency improvements in commercial buildings continued to grow, as they have in recent years, residential efficiency investments remained stable, and investments in agricultural energy efficiency grew slightly.

 

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