The Council is requesting comment on a draft resource adequacy standard, designed to act as an early warning system should resource development fall dangerously short of the region’s energy needs.
The current standard has been used since the Council adopted it in 2008. It was developed by a forum of electric utilities, utility organizations, public utility commissions, and public interest groups convened by the Council and the Bonneville Power Administration.
The 2011 standard has been revised to be simpler to use and understand, and an annual assessment called "The State of the System" provides additional analytical information that should be especially useful to utility planners—giving planners insight into the status of the power market, for example.
The Council would like comment on the enclosed standard, background paper, and sample state of the system report, with a particular interest in feedback on the summary and background paper. See sidebar.
The comment period is through November 11, 2011, and the Council will also have an opportunity to hear public comment at its November meeting in Coeur d’Alene.