Columbia River Operators Increase Flows to Welcome Returning Chum Salmon (Bonneville Power Administration)

(PORTLAND, OR) -- Sometimes being underwater is a good thing, especially for Columbia River salmon nests, called redds. This fall, federal agencies have increased Columbia River flows below Bonneville Lock and Dam to ensure the redds of spawning chum salmon stay covered with water. The agencies have conducted these chum operations every fall since 2000.

Beginning in November, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers holds the Columbia River below Bonneville Dam to between 11.5 and 13 feet above sea level to ensure chum can spawn at the mouth of Hamilton Creek in the Columbia River Gorge. For chum operations to occur, water is released from reservoirs as far away as Hungry Horse and Libby dams in Montana, more than 850 river-miles upriver from Bonneville Dam. The water is then captured and released as needed to keep the redds underwater.

“Chum are listed under the federal Endangered Species Act and they’re an important part of the ecosystem,” says Scott Armentrout, BPA vice president of Environment Fish and Wildlife.  “This operation is just one of the things we do with our federal partners to support this critical species.”

The annual run of Columbia River chum salmon historically numbered more than 1 million. However, habitat loss, harvest, and other factors caused their numbers to plummet during the last century to a low of just a few thousand fish returning to the river each year. An important ecological species and food for mammals such as whales, the federal government listed Columbia River chum as threatened under the Endangered Species Act in 1999.

Called “dog” salmon because of their canine-like teeth, chum are the last salmon of the year to return to the Columbia to spawn, and their young are the first to leave for the ocean in the spring. Chum salmon generally spawn in the lower part of the Columbia River below Bonneville Dam in areas where warm groundwater pushes up through gravel. The warm water then quickly incubates their eggs.

The Bonneville Power Administration has funded two hatchery programs and constructed new spawning habitat for chum in several areas of the lower Columbia River. These efforts appear to be showing signs of success: More than 45,000 chum returned to the Columbia in 2016 and scientists say 2019 shows signs of a good return as well.

Pacific Northwest Utilities Tap the Feds on Vegetation Management Within and Along Powerline Rights-of-Way (Northwest Public Power Association)

November 25, 2019

Daniel James Jiron

Acting Deputy Under Secretary, Natural Resources and Environment

USDA Forest Service

201 14^th Street SW, Mailstop 1124                                                                             

Washington, DC  20250-1125

Re: Docket Number FS-2019-0019; Procedures for Operating Plans and Agreements for Vegetation Management Within and Along Powerline Rights-of-Way

Dear Mr. Jiron:

Pursuant to the Federal Register notice published at 84 FR 50698, the western electric utility organizations[1] respectfully provide joint comments on the U.S. Forest Service’s proposed rule to update its vegetation management regulations in section 512 of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (the Act). 

We are trade associations and joint action agencies representing over 155 electric utilities in the Western United States and Canada.  In the United States, our members include electric utilities in Alaska, California, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Utah, Wyoming, Oregon, and Washington.

In order to provide retail electric service to their communities, our utility members operate electric facilities on or near U.S. Forest Service lands.  In all cases, these utilities are responsible for ensuring that rights-of-way (ROW) are clear of vegetation that could potentially encounter electric transmission and distribution lines for the safe and reliable operation of electric systems.  Challenges arise when approval of special use authorizations to implement integrated vegetation management on or near ROW are delayed, when application of standards for approving such work are inconsistently applied, or when requests to cut hazard trees that are in danger of falling onto ROW are held up or denied.  In addition to the serious impacts for human safety when wildfires occur, utilities are routinely held liable for fire suppression costs and damages resulting from vegetation encountering electric lines. 

We appreciate the U.S. Forest Service’s efforts to propose vegetation management regulations per the deadline set by Congress in the Act.  As you are aware, wildfires in western states pose a significant risk to the reliability of our members’ electric systems and to the safety of their employees and the communities they serve.  In fact, liability for catastrophic wildfires represents the largest financial risk for many of our electric utility members. As a result, we were outspoken advocates of congressional efforts to improve the federal process for approving special use authorizations for management of hazardous trees and vegetation on or near ROW, and the limitation on liability for fire suppression costs contained in the Act.  Our members have highly anticipated these proposed regulations and believe, if implemented as intended by Congress, these rules will play a significant role in protecting electric systems and our nation’s forests and grasslands from wildfires.  

With that in mind, it is imperative that the U.S. Forest Service implement its new authority in the following manner.

1.  Regulations and Guidelines must closely align with the primary intent of the underlying law.  House Report 115-165 filed by the House Natural Resources Committee contains clear objectives for this vegetation management law.  The report states that the legislation “seeks to reduce such wildfires, in part, by promoting federal consistency, accountability, and timely decision-making as it relates to protecting electricity transmission and distribution lines on some federal lands from hazard trees.”  Therefore, in implementing this law, it is imperative that the U.S. Forest Service establish procedures with robust timelines and milestones that promote efficiency, accountability, and consistency in approving special use authorizations to manage vegetation on ROW, facilitate coordination between federal land managers and ROW owner/operators, and promote responsible management of USFS lands that are immediately adjacent to ROWs to enable operators to address hazard trees and fuel loads on federal lands that are a threat to infrastructure within and adjacent to the ROW. 

2. Prioritize establishment of joint guidelines with the Bureau of Land Management as mandated under the Act.  In section 512(b) of the Act, Congress mandated “the Secretary[s] . . . shall issue and periodically update guidance to ensure that provisions are appropriately developed and implemented for utility vegetation management, facility inspections, and operation and maintenance of rights-of-way . . .”  These guidelines must eliminate or minimize the need for case-by-case approvals for routine operations and for utility vegetation management activities that are necessary to control hazard trees.  Delays in development of these guidelines will delay development and approvals of vegetation management plans, threatening the safe operation of electric systems and the prevention of wildfires. 

3. Establish a culture at the U.S. Forest Service that prioritizes review of utility vegetation management plans and collaboration with ROW operators.  Often, our members find various inconsistencies working with federal agency personnel, as outcomes vary based on individual federal employees’ decisions and timelines.  For example, a single utility that provides service in an area overseen by two separate district offices may receive differing guidance and cooperation in approving special use authorizations for utility management of vegetation on or near the utility’s ROW.  In other instances, decision making is delayed while in other locations, decisions are made in a more reasonable and timely manner. Establishing a culture within the U.S. Forest Service that prioritizes review of vegetation management plans and collaboration with ROW operators will aid in the timely review and approval of those plans and the safe operation of electric systems.

4. Implement tools provided by Congress including use of categorial exclusions to NEPA and a training program for agency staff.  We also urge full implementation of the tools Congress provided to the U.S. Forest Service in the Act including use of categorical exclusions for routine and regular work on or near ROW, and development of a training program for agency staff involved in vegetation management decisions.

The U.S. Congress provided the U.S. Forest Service with discretion to identify categories of actions for exclusion from the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) in section 512(c)(5) of the Act.  We support implementation of the agency’s discretion to categorically exclude actions in development of vegetation management plans and in implementation of those plans from NEPA.  Actions such as routine vegetation management, hazard tree removal, and operations and maintenance of electrical equipment on ROW should fall within the agency’s discretion to categorically exclude from NEPA. 

Training agency staff is another tool encouraged by the U.S. Congress in section 512(i) of the Act.  Delays in approval of special use authorizations for vegetation management on or near ROW often occur due to frequent agency staff turnover.  Frequent turnover results in loss of experience and expertise on the issue. Use of this important training tool in consultation with electric utilities and sharing of utility employees with federal agencies to help educate agency staff on reliability standards and requirements in maintaining and operating distribution and transmission lines in ROW can help meet the goals of the Act for a more efficient, consistent and timely approval of integrated utility vegetation management plans.

Finally, the Act, if implemented as intended, will authorize two important provisions: efficient removal of trees identified as hazards (Section 512(c)); and, limitations on liability for ROW owners/operators (Section 512(g)).   A key provision of the Act was a process by which ROW owners/operators can identify hazard trees – trees that are dead or likely to fail and cause substantial damage or disruption of electrical systems and take action to remove that tree while notifying the U.S. Forest Service.  This provision is vital to quick and decisive action to protect electric systems, prevent wildfires and ensure public safety.  The Act also provides reasonable liability limits for damages that may result from activities conducted in accordance with the operation and maintenance plans established and submitted pursuant to this Act.  Utilities, and ultimately their customers, bear the cost of maintaining ROWs as well as the cost of liability for damages.  Limiting strict liability for utilities is a key to success as it empowers ROW owners/operators to remove hazardous trees and quickly address other urgent threats to power lines in order to avert potential crises.

Our members are environmental stewards who support responsible forest management because they are led by people who live in the communities served.  Many are in areas that have seen devastating wildfires in recent years and are actively engaged in ROW management to reduce this threat.  We support the various elements of this rulemaking that will provide more uniform guidelines for operating and maintaining utility ROWs on federal land, that will establish a process to enable our members to address emergency hazards quickly and effectively, and that will fully implement the limitations on strict liability established in the Act. 

We look forward to working with the U.S. Forest Service towards a more efficient and consistent vegetation management program that ensures the safe and reliable operation of the electric utility system and prevents wildfires on our nation’s lands. 

Sincerely,

Scott Corwin

Executive Director

Northwest Public Power Association

on behalf of NWPPA and

Utah Associated Municipal Power Systems

Northern California Power Agency

Washington Rural Electric Cooperative Association

Oregon Rural Electric Cooperative Association

Oregon Municipal Electric Utilities Association

Wyoming Rural Electric Association

Montana Electric Cooperatives’ Association

Golden State Power Cooperative

Nevada Rural Electric Association

Alaska Power Association

Idaho Consumer-Owned Utilities Association

Oregon People’s Utility District Association

California Municipal Utilities Association

Washington Public Utility Districts Association

---

x

[1] Northwest Public Power Association, Utah Associated Municipal Power Systems, Northern California Power Agency, Washington Rural Electric Cooperative Association, Oregon Rural Electric Cooperative Association, Oregon Municipal Electric Utilities Association, Wyoming Rural Electric Association, Montana Electric Cooperative Association, Golden State Power Cooperative, Nevada Rural Electric Association, Alaska Power Association, Idaho Consumer-Owned Utilities Association, California Municipal Utility Association, Oregon People’s Utility District Association, Washington Public Utility District Association.

Energy Debate Overlooks Profound Threat to Vulnerable Northwest Communities (Northwest RiverPartners, Vancouver, WA)

Loss of Carbon-free Hydropower Would Create a Two-Class Social Equity System

(VANCOUVER, WA) -- Northwest RiverPartners, a not-for-profit, member-driven organization that advocates for carbon-free hydropower, today issued a warning about the dire impact that dam removal and the associated threat to hydroelectricity would have on the most vulnerable communities in the Northwest. 

“On an annual basis, fifty percent of the Northwest region’s electricity generation comes from carbon-free hydropower,” said Kurt Miller, executive director of Northwest RiverPartners. “Loss of this critical resource would lead to blackouts and capacity shortages, disproportionately burdening susceptible communities.”

Northwest RiverPartners isn’t alone in their concern about the future of electricity in the region. In an unprecedented move, hundreds of Northwest energy leaders convened this October to address the real threat to future power resources and supply, in part due to increased efforts to diminish the hydroelectric system. These efforts come at a time when thousands of megawatts of carbon-emitting resources are already being removed without an immediate replacement.

Yet many involved in the debate have overlooked the critical sociological and economic aspect that would adversely impact low income communities and communities of color.

“There is a very important social justice component of our work that embraces environmental equity issues and prioritizes a renewable energy future that doesn’t leave people behind,” said Miller. “We advocate for hydroelectricity because it is clean, affordable, and accessible for all communities - it is a critical part of the Northwest’s clean energy future.”

Many Northwest communities with the highest percentage of low-income and disadvantaged populations and communities of color, rely on hydroelectricity as a cost-effective carbon-free energy resource. Many also rely on dams, and the benefits they provide, for jobs.

For example, the Tri-Cities region in Washington state has a growing population of almost 300,000 of which over one third are communities of color according to the U.S. Census Bureau. A high proportion of workers within this community are employed by or tied to the agricultural industry, which in turn relies on the irrigation made possible by area dams.

As evidenced by the current California power outages, which have shown a disturbing economic divide, the price of installing alternative energy systems is still cost-prohibitive to more vulnerable segments of the population.

“While it's important that we focus on a clean energy future, our current trajectory is leading to a two-class system for electricity where only the well-to-do can afford new energy sources such as solar panels, inverters, batteries and backup generation,” continued Miller.

A threat to carbon-free hydropower would also affect small businesses in the region. Solar and wind power, which are balanced by the stability and reliability of hydropower, are becoming more affordable. Still, the least expensive way to participate in the clean energy future and maintain the cheapest power bills in the country is through the use of hydroelectricity.

“At our meetings, we’ve often said that you cannot have sustainability without equity,” said Sam Brooks, founder and board chairman, Oregon Association of Minority Entrepreneurs. “Our minority, women-owned, and emerging small businesses need continued access to clean and affordable energy resources like hydroelectricity.”

The debate over the value and role of hydropower and the prospect of dam removal in the Northwest has been gaining traction and will reach a pivotal point next February with the release of the Draft Columbia River System Operations Environmental Impact Statement by federal action agencies. The report will analyze the societal, environmental, and economic costs and benefits of breaching the four lower Snake River dams. 

About Northwest RiverPartners

Northwest RiverPartners is a not-for-profit, member-driven organization. Members include community-owned utilities, ports, and businesses from across the northwestern United States. The organization is focused on raising awareness about how the Northwest’s hydropower system betters communities and the natural environment and encourages science-based solutions that help hydropower and salmon coexist and thrive. www.nwriverpartners.org

Lewis County Public Works to Build Emergency Water Stations (KELA Radio, Centralia, WA)

(CHEHALIS, WA) -- Lewis County Public Works Department will be moving ahead with the construction of three water stations for emergency use around the county.

Public Works Director Josh Metcalf says Lewis County received $72,000 in funding from the Washington State Department of Ecology to build the stations for use during emergency events.

Metcalf says the emergency water stations will be at the county’s area 5 road maintenance shop in Ethel, area 7 shop in Randle, and area 2 shop in Adna.

Brouillette Breezing to U.S. Energy Secretary Confirmation (Washington Examiner, Daily on Energy)

(WASHINGTON, DC) -- President Trump officially nominated Dan Brouillette Thursday to replace Rick Perry atop the Energy Department, and Senate Republicans want to move quickly on confirming him.

Energy Committee Republicans moved quickly to schedule a confirmation hearing for Brouillette on Thursday, Nov. 14 — before Perry’s last day on Dec. 1.

Brouillette, 57, is currently the deputy energy secretary, working as Perry's second in command on behalf of the Trump administration’s “energy dominance” agenda, which focuses mostly on exporting coal and natural gas. The Senate easily confirmed him to his deputy role by a 79-17 vote.

“If confirmed, I will further Secretary Perry’s legacy of promoting energy independence, innovation, and security for the American people,” Brouillette said in a statement Thursday.

Mason PUD 3 Gets National Recognition as a Smart Energy Provider (Mason PUD 3, Shelton, WA)

One of 67 utilities across the nation to receive the inaugural designation from the American Public Power Association

(SHELTON, WA) -- Mason PUD 3 has been named to the inaugural class of the “Smart Energy Provider” program by American Public Power Association.

PUD 3 received the designation along with 67 utilities across the nation for its commitment and expertise in energy efficiency, encouragement of distributed energy generation, customer education and communications, and environmental programs that support the goal of providing low-cost, quality, safe, and reliable electric service.

“I’m pleased to see that Mason PUD 3’s mission, vision, and core values dovetail so perfectly with the Smart Energy Provider program,” said Koral Miller, PUD 3 conservation manager. “Our employees strive every day to follow our core values of being solutions-oriented, communicating with our customers, striving for reliable and economical service, and being socially responsible,”

“Competing with other utilities allows the PUD 3 to benchmark its efforts against hundreds of other organizations,” said Annette Creekpaum, PUD 3 manger. “Recognition of our efforts affirms our work to provide the best service possible to our customers and community.’

“This designation highlights utilities that are stepping up to deliver top-notch programs and services to their customers,” said Chris Van Dokkumburg, planning analyst at ‎Holland Board of Public Works (Michigan) and Chair of APPA’s Energy Services Committee. “These utilities are going beyond ‘keeping the lights on,’ and their communities should be proud.”

Other Washington state utilities receiving the Smart Energy Provider designation are Clark Public Utilities, Snohomish PUD, and Tacoma Power.

Mason PUD 3 has won 14 consecutive Government Finance Officer awards for excellence in financial reporting; the PUD received the Northwest Public Power Association’s Paul Hougan award for overall excellence in communications; the utility has a Diamond Level designation from the American Public Power Association as one of the nation’s Reliable Public Power Providers; PUD 3 placed first in its category in the Northwest Public Power Association’s 2018 Safety Contest; the PUD received the 2018 American Public Power Association’s Safety Award of Excellence.

Mason PUD 3 provides electricity to nearly 34,000 customers in most of Mason County and small portions of Kitsap and Grays Harbor Counties. The PUD also operates a wholesale fiber optic telecommunications network, which supports the operation of its electric distribution services.

The American Public Power Association is the voice of not-for-profit, community-owned utilities that power 2,000 towns and cities nationwide.

Here is the full list of the 2019 Smart Energy Provider honorees.