Wednesday, April 29, 2015
Tuesday, April 28, 2015
Monday, April 27, 2015
Friday, April 24, 2015
Bonneville Power Administration & EnerNOC Will Test Demand Response for Non-Wires & Peak Load Shaving (Bonneville Power Administration)
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Project tied to I-5 Corridor Reinforcement and managing peak load during extreme cold events
(PORTLAND, OR) -- The Bonneville Power Administration is looking to learn more about
the potential for demand response to help it manage transmission
congestion during summer heat waves and shave peak energy demand during
cold snaps. This is the first non-wires measure BPA will test in
association with its I-5 Corridor Reinforcement Project, which it is
considering building.
BPA has selected EnerNOC to
serve as its commercial aggregator, which means EnerNOC will be
responsible for working through Northwest utilities to find commercial
participants that are willing to decrease energy consumption when sent
an electronic signal.
“This is another important step
in our efforts to find flexible capacity from outside the hydro system
to deliver value to our customers,” said BPA Administrator Elliot
Mainzer. “This project is about using innovative technology to help BPA
manage infrastructure costs and energy consumption to preserve system
reliability.”
The demand response activities
EnerNOC will implement include a summer initiative to manage
transmission congestion and flows in the same area the I-5 Corridor
Reinforcement project is focused, and a winter initiative to shave peak
energy usage during extreme cold snaps.
Summer Non-Wires Relief
North to south energy flows
into the Portland/Vancouver metropolitan area during the summer can
approach system operation limits and create the potential for blackouts.
In January 2011, BPA commissioned a non-wires screening study
that listed demand response as one of several non-wires measures that
could help manage transmission congestion in advance of constructing the
I-5 Corridor Reinforcement project.
BPA currently projects that it
will need the I-5 Corridor Reinforcement in 2021. Under the current
project schedule, BPA expects to decide whether or not to build the line
in 2016. If BPA determines it could not build the line in time to meet
the electrical need, non-wires measures such as this one would be
necessary until the project could be built.
“We know non-wires measures
cannot replace the need for the I-5 Corridor Reinforcement project,”
said Mark Korsness, BPA Transmission Service project manager. “We also
know non-wires measures are a valuable tool we may need to employ until
we can complete the project if we decide to build it. It is important to
test these measures well in advance of the need, and our team has done a
good job pulling this demonstration together.”
EnerNOC will enlist the
participation of large energy consumers that could lower their energy
use within 10 minutes of receiving an electronic signal initiated by
BPA. The reduction would be available up to four hours during hours of
peak energy use up to five consecutive days. EnerNOC is aiming to enlist
enough participants to reduce up to 20 megawatts of energy use in
summer 2015 and up to 25 megawatts in summer 2016.
Winter Peak Relief
The Federal Columbia River
Power System can be stretched to its limit during certain periods. BPA
and its federal partners that own and operate the dams need flexibility
for the many important purposes the dams serve, which include fish
passage and variable energy integration.
“Demand response provides us a
great opportunity to help ourselves and our customers,” said Mark
Gendron, senior vice president of BPA Power Services. “Testing tools
that provide potential system flexibility and save our ratepayers money
benefits us all.”
EnerNOC will enlist the
participation of customers that could lower their energy use within 20
minutes of receiving a signal to do so. The reduction would be available
for up to two three-hour periods up to three consecutive days. EnerNOC
will begin the winter demonstration in December 2015 seeking up to 13
megawatts of relief in the first year and 25 megawatts in the second
year.
Going Forward
BPA continues to explore various demand response tools to defer the
need for transmission projects, balance variable energy resources,
relieve transmission congestion and meet other needs. Demand response is
one of several areas in which BPA’s Technology Innovation office is funding pilot projects.
BPA’s current power contracts
include a “demand charge” its public utility customers incur when their
aggregate energy consumption exceeds a predetermined level. The charge
sends a price signal to customers and encourages the use of tools such
as demand response to shave peak energy use. These types of initiatives
can be useful to our customers as they search for ways to manage their
loads and minimize their demand charge.
More information on demand response and other BPA energy efficiency efforts is available on the BPA website.
Wednesday, April 22, 2015
Cowlitz River fishery and hatchery program meeting (KELA Radio, Centralia, WA)
(CENTRALIA, WA) -- There will be a public meeting about
Cowlitz River fisheries and hatchery programs Thursday night at 6 PM in
the Walton Science Center at Centralia College. Tacoma Power, the
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, and theCowlitz Fisheries
Technical Committee will host the meeting where people can learn about
the Fisheries & Hatchery Management Plan Annual Project Review
process, review the hatchery production plan for the Cowlitz River and
have an opportunity to provide input.
Tuesday, April 21, 2015
Monday, April 20, 2015
Efficiency Exchange Highlights Energy Efficiency Innovations & Trends (Bonneville Power Administration)
Northwest
electric power industry connects on the latest energy efficiency programs and
strategies
(PORTLAND, OR) -- The Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance (NEEA), in partnership with the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) and electric utilities throughout the Northwest, are hosting the third annual Efficiency Exchange conference in Portland, April 21-23. The region-wide event focuses on promoting innovation and new ideas in utility energy efficiency programs. BPA and NEEA are producing and sponsoring the event, with support from the Northwest Power and Conservation Council.
“This is the pre-eminent utility energy efficiency forum in the Northwest,” said Richard Génecé, vice president of Energy Efficiency for the Bonneville Power Administration. “It’s an opportunity for utilities, implementers and contractors to exchange ideas and best practices, and it continues our region’s legacy of leadership in energy efficiency.”
Attendees will build new relationships, better understand emerging trends in the industry, and gain knowledge from the conference for their own organizations.
“Energy efficiency is now the second-largest source of power in the Northwest, and we anticipate the importance of efficiency will continue to grow as reducing carbon emissions grows in importance as a public policy goal,” said Pat Smith, a Montana member of the Northwest Power and Conservation Council and chair of the Council’s Power Committee. “We are pleased to support this event and to work with Bonneville, NEEA and our other partners to discuss and strategize on ways to improve energy efficiency in the region.”
Jeremiah Owyang is the keynote speaker at this year’s conference. Owyang is the founder of Crowd Companies, which advises businesses on tapping into the collaborative economy. He will discuss the latest trends and research in this new sharing movement, as well as how utilities can thrive in a world where customers, technology and energy are intersecting in disruptive ways.
Attendees will also get an insider’s look at how energy efficient technologies are tested, refined and applied to a number of local industries. The final day of the conference includes on-site tours of Widmer Brothers’ energy efficient brewery and a lunch-and-learn meeting with the Northwest Power and Conservation Council.
Other sessions will cover energy efficiency technologies and trends such as the Internet of Things, combination water/space heating, and paths to deeper savings in commercial buildings and lighting.
“The Northwest is an established leader in energy efficiency,” said NEEA’s executive director, Susan E. Stratton. “Efficiency Exchange brings together thought leaders and program experts to share new ideas and insights that benefit the whole region.”
Between sessions, attendees can visit the Conduit Lounge and register, post and share information on Conduit, an online community that facilitates collaboration and coordination among energy efficiency professionals in the Northwest.
View the full agenda of the conference at efficiencyexchangenw.com.
About the Bonneville Power Administration
The Bonneville Power Administration, headquartered in Portland, Ore., is a nonprofit federal power marketing agency under the U.S. Department of Energy that sells wholesale renewable hydropower from federal dams in the Columbia Basin and one nuclear plant to more than 140 Northwest utilities. BPA operates a high-voltage transmission grid comprising more than 15,000 circuit miles of lines and associated substations in Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Montana with more than 480 customers. It funds one of the largest wildlife protection and restoration programs in the world, and, with its partners, pursues cost-effective energy savings in all sectors of the economy. BPA also pursues breakthroughs that can increase efficiencies, solve operational challenges and reduce costs — all of which help maintain affordable, reliable electric power for the Northwest and lessen impacts to the environment. www.bpa.gov
About the Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance
The Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance is an alliance of more than 140 utilities and energy efficiency organizations working on behalf of more than 13 million energy consumers. NEEA is dedicated to accelerating both electric and gas energy efficiency, leveraging its regional partnerships to advance the adoption of energy-efficient products, services and practices.
Since 1997, NEEA and its partners have saved enough energy to power more than 700,000 homes each year. As the second-largest resource in the Northwest, energy efficiency can offset most of our new demand for energy, saving money and keeping the Northwest a healthy and vibrant place to live. www.neea.org
About the Northwest Power and Conservation Council
The Northwest Power and Conservation Council is an agency of the four Northwest states of Idaho, Oregon, Montana, and Washington. Under the Northwest Power Act of 1980, the Council develops a Northwest Power Plan to assure the region an adequate, efficient, economical, and reliable power supply while protecting, mitigating and enhancing fish and wildlife that have been affected by the construction and operation of hydropower dams in the Columbia River Basin. Through the power plan the Council sets strategies and establishes targets for energy efficiency in the region, and through the Regional Technical Forum (www.nwcouncil.org/energy/regionaltechnicalforum), the Council and other forum partners work to verify that efficiency measures implemented by utilities produce real savings.
(PORTLAND, OR) -- The Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance (NEEA), in partnership with the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) and electric utilities throughout the Northwest, are hosting the third annual Efficiency Exchange conference in Portland, April 21-23. The region-wide event focuses on promoting innovation and new ideas in utility energy efficiency programs. BPA and NEEA are producing and sponsoring the event, with support from the Northwest Power and Conservation Council.
“This is the pre-eminent utility energy efficiency forum in the Northwest,” said Richard Génecé, vice president of Energy Efficiency for the Bonneville Power Administration. “It’s an opportunity for utilities, implementers and contractors to exchange ideas and best practices, and it continues our region’s legacy of leadership in energy efficiency.”
Attendees will build new relationships, better understand emerging trends in the industry, and gain knowledge from the conference for their own organizations.
“Energy efficiency is now the second-largest source of power in the Northwest, and we anticipate the importance of efficiency will continue to grow as reducing carbon emissions grows in importance as a public policy goal,” said Pat Smith, a Montana member of the Northwest Power and Conservation Council and chair of the Council’s Power Committee. “We are pleased to support this event and to work with Bonneville, NEEA and our other partners to discuss and strategize on ways to improve energy efficiency in the region.”
Jeremiah Owyang is the keynote speaker at this year’s conference. Owyang is the founder of Crowd Companies, which advises businesses on tapping into the collaborative economy. He will discuss the latest trends and research in this new sharing movement, as well as how utilities can thrive in a world where customers, technology and energy are intersecting in disruptive ways.
Attendees will also get an insider’s look at how energy efficient technologies are tested, refined and applied to a number of local industries. The final day of the conference includes on-site tours of Widmer Brothers’ energy efficient brewery and a lunch-and-learn meeting with the Northwest Power and Conservation Council.
Other sessions will cover energy efficiency technologies and trends such as the Internet of Things, combination water/space heating, and paths to deeper savings in commercial buildings and lighting.
“The Northwest is an established leader in energy efficiency,” said NEEA’s executive director, Susan E. Stratton. “Efficiency Exchange brings together thought leaders and program experts to share new ideas and insights that benefit the whole region.”
Between sessions, attendees can visit the Conduit Lounge and register, post and share information on Conduit, an online community that facilitates collaboration and coordination among energy efficiency professionals in the Northwest.
View the full agenda of the conference at efficiencyexchangenw.com.
About the Bonneville Power Administration
The Bonneville Power Administration, headquartered in Portland, Ore., is a nonprofit federal power marketing agency under the U.S. Department of Energy that sells wholesale renewable hydropower from federal dams in the Columbia Basin and one nuclear plant to more than 140 Northwest utilities. BPA operates a high-voltage transmission grid comprising more than 15,000 circuit miles of lines and associated substations in Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Montana with more than 480 customers. It funds one of the largest wildlife protection and restoration programs in the world, and, with its partners, pursues cost-effective energy savings in all sectors of the economy. BPA also pursues breakthroughs that can increase efficiencies, solve operational challenges and reduce costs — all of which help maintain affordable, reliable electric power for the Northwest and lessen impacts to the environment. www.bpa.gov
About the Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance
The Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance is an alliance of more than 140 utilities and energy efficiency organizations working on behalf of more than 13 million energy consumers. NEEA is dedicated to accelerating both electric and gas energy efficiency, leveraging its regional partnerships to advance the adoption of energy-efficient products, services and practices.
Since 1997, NEEA and its partners have saved enough energy to power more than 700,000 homes each year. As the second-largest resource in the Northwest, energy efficiency can offset most of our new demand for energy, saving money and keeping the Northwest a healthy and vibrant place to live. www.neea.org
About the Northwest Power and Conservation Council
The Northwest Power and Conservation Council is an agency of the four Northwest states of Idaho, Oregon, Montana, and Washington. Under the Northwest Power Act of 1980, the Council develops a Northwest Power Plan to assure the region an adequate, efficient, economical, and reliable power supply while protecting, mitigating and enhancing fish and wildlife that have been affected by the construction and operation of hydropower dams in the Columbia River Basin. Through the power plan the Council sets strategies and establishes targets for energy efficiency in the region, and through the Regional Technical Forum (www.nwcouncil.org/energy/regionaltechnicalforum), the Council and other forum partners work to verify that efficiency measures implemented by utilities produce real savings.
Friday, April 17, 2015
Wednesday, April 15, 2015
Public Power Council Applauds Congressional Call for Columbia River Treaty Negotiations (Public Power Council, Portland, OR)
(PORTLAND, OR) -- Executive Director of PPC, Scott Corwin,
made the following comments regarding the letter sent April 14, 2015 by the
members of Congress from the states of Washington, Oregon, Montana and Idaho
calling for action by the Obama Administration on the Columbia River Treaty.
“We commend the Northwest Congressional delegation
for making a strong and unified statement that the Administration should act on
renegotiating this Treaty, and should lay out the specific steps and timeline
for doing so.”
“It has been 16 months since citizens in the region, with
the Bonneville Power Administration and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, agreed on
a path forward. It is time for the Administration to get moving.”
“Until the outdated aspects of the Treaty are corrected,
consumers in the Northwest will continue to send a hugely imbalanced amount of
our clean hydropower north to Canada. It’s time to start the real
negotiations to fix this.”
“This letter shows that our representatives in Congress understand the importance of this Treaty to Northwest citizens and are working to make sure the Administration takes action.”
“This letter shows that our representatives in Congress understand the importance of this Treaty to Northwest citizens and are working to make sure the Administration takes action.”
That Canadian Energy - Can Imported Hydropower Be Used for Meeting EPA Greenhouse Gas Rules? (Politico Morning Energy)
(WASHINGTON, DC) -- Quebec's energy minister Pierre Arcand made the rounds with
Obama administration officials yesterday pushing for the EPA to allow
states to take into account imports of Canadian renewable energy - see:
Quebec-based hydropower - in complying with the agency's proposed
greenhouse gas controls for power plants.
"Our message was very simple: Here in North America, we are at what we call the epicenter of energy where we have gas, we have green electricity coming from Quebec...we are fighting climate change," Arcand told ME, between meeting with Sens. Jeanne Shaheen and Angus King. "We can provide solutions to many U.S. states and the U.S. states can provide solutions for us," he added, noting Quebec could start importing shale gas from the U.S. instead of Alberta in the next five years.
"It's much closer. It's much more good for us to have that," he said. Arcand also met with FERC Chairwoman Cheryl LaFleur, the Energy Department's Jonathan Pershing and officials at the White House and State Department. "In all of those exchanges I think that what we need is a better understanding and more win-win situation," Arcand said.
"Our message was very simple: Here in North America, we are at what we call the epicenter of energy where we have gas, we have green electricity coming from Quebec...we are fighting climate change," Arcand told ME, between meeting with Sens. Jeanne Shaheen and Angus King. "We can provide solutions to many U.S. states and the U.S. states can provide solutions for us," he added, noting Quebec could start importing shale gas from the U.S. instead of Alberta in the next five years.
"It's much closer. It's much more good for us to have that," he said. Arcand also met with FERC Chairwoman Cheryl LaFleur, the Energy Department's Jonathan Pershing and officials at the White House and State Department. "In all of those exchanges I think that what we need is a better understanding and more win-win situation," Arcand said.
Tuesday, April 14, 2015
Monday, April 13, 2015
Friday, April 10, 2015
Thursday, April 9, 2015
Lewis County PUD Proposes Rate Increase (KELA Radio, Centralia, WA)
(CHEHALIS, WA) -- Lewis County PUD held the first of two
public hearings on a proposed rate increase on Tuesday. If the increase
is approved, an average home using 1,400 kilowatt hours a month would
see a monthly increase of about $8 beginning June 1. PUD officials say a
projected BPA increase in power and transmission rates effective
October 1 and a projected reduction in surplus sales revenues due to
declining wholesale power prices are contributing factors to the
proposed rate increase. Another public hearing on the proposed rate
increase will be held next Tuesday at Lewis County PUD’s regular board
meeting in Chehalis.
Wednesday, April 8, 2015
Tuesday, April 7, 2015
Monday, April 6, 2015
Friday, April 3, 2015
Thursday, April 2, 2015
Bonneville Power Administration Selects Final Path for Its Hooper Springs Transmission Project (Bonneville Power Administration)
(PORTLAND, OR) -- The Bonneville Power Administration has
decided to build a 24-mile, 115-kilovolt transmission line and substation in southeastern
Idaho so it can continue to provide stable and reliable transmission service in
southeastern Idaho and northwestern Wyoming.
For the past nine years, BPA has worked with
elected officials, local landowners, interest groups, cooperating agencies and
other interested stakeholders to reach this decision.
“We thank everyone who has provided input
that led to this decision,” said Richard Shaheen, senior vice president of BPA
Transmission Services. “On balance, we believe the selected option achieves the
objective of minimizing impacts to the environment while maintaining electric
reliability in the area.”
BPA has selected the South Alternative’s
Option 3A, as it is referred to in the project’s final
environmental impact statement. This option, selected over the North and
South alternatives and their options, will have fewer transmission structures
and less miles of new access road construction. Option 3A has an estimated cost
of $65 million, which is $9 million less than the North Alternative and about
the same cost as the other build options.
BPA will spend the balance of 2015 acquiring
land rights to construct the new transmission line and substation. It expects
to start substation, transmission line and access road construction in spring
2016.
“We look forward to working with individual
landowners as we begin to plan construction activities,” said BPA project
manager Erich Orth. “Our goal of having the least amount of impact to
landowners and property still remains the same.”
Additional information about the decision is
available on the BPA website.
Wednesday, April 1, 2015
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