More
work remains before a decision is made on how to address transmission
congestion in southwestern Washington, northwestern Oregon
(PORTLAND,
OR) – The Bonneville Power Administration is releasing its
final environmental impact statement on the I-5 Corridor Reinforcement Project
after more than six years of analysis and robust public involvement.
The
final EIS is a significant milestone in BPA’s National Environmental Policy Act
review for the siting of a potential 500-kilovolt transmission line from the
Castle Rock, Wash., area to Troutdale, Ore.
The
final EIS documents the completed analysis of potential impacts to a wide
spectrum of human and natural environments from various potential routes that
total more than 300 miles in length. BPA addressed nearly 10,000 comments
during the EIS process and worked with landowners and others to obtain input
for the analysis.
While
the final EIS includes a thorough environmental analysis and identifies a
preferred route, the final EIS is not a decision document. It does not include
a decision on whether to construct the line.
“Before
we make a decision, Bonneville will continue to evaluate the circumstances
around the I-5 Corridor Reinforcement Project to ensure we’re making the right
investments at the right time,” said BPA Administrator Elliot Mainzer, who will
ultimately make the decision to build or not.
Mainzer
added he does not anticipate reaching a decision before late 2016.
BPA
proposed the I-5 Corridor Reinforcement Project to address a growing
transmission congestion problem in southwestern Washington and northwestern
Oregon. While there is enough power generation in the region to meet energy
demands, the existing transmission lines that deliver the power from other
parts of the Northwest are becoming increasingly constrained in their ability
to move that power during periods of high electricity use.
As a result of this congestion, the possibility of brownouts
or power outages in this area from transmission constraints is increasing.
BPA’s studies currently show that if electric demand, or load, continues to
grow without any additional physical or operational changes, that scenario
might occur as early as 2021.
In
addition to considering whether to build the proposed line, for the past
several years BPA has been actively exploring possible “non-wire” solutions –
measures that do not involve building a new transmission line – that may
address the congestion issue as part of its mission to deliver power reliably
and at low cost to the Northwest.
Some
solutions have been found that have allowed the need for the project to be
deferred until 2021. However, to date, BPA has been unable to identify any
combination of non-wire measures that would address congestion and maintain
transmission reliability in this corridor for a longer term and that would be
operationally, commercially and economically feasible.
Even so, non-wire technologies are regularly evolving, and
BPA is continuing to explore these measures and their ability to meet
reliability needs, whether in the short or long term – or indefinitely, if
possible.
BPA has assembled a team of highly skilled engineers and
other subject matter experts to continue exploring non-wire solutions. BPA is
evaluating whether some combination of these measures would be sufficient to
maintain reliable electric service by offsetting projected increases in power
flow across southwestern Washington and northwestern Oregon. Some of those
options might include:
- Generation redispatch: Refers to changing which large generation sources serve the load. This may alleviate congestion by reducing the amount of generation and power being transmitted along a path to more closely match the load or anticipated need.
- Demand response: Refers to managing the power consumption at the end user. This may alleviate congestion by reducing power consumption and pairing it with generation reduction in a location to reduce flows along the transmission path.
- Distributed standby generation: Refers to using small diesel generators or solar power generators near the source of the load.
- Other distributed energy resources: This includes battery storage and solar generation. Large-scale batteries near the load can be used during times of high power demand. Similarly, during times of high generation, the batteries can be used to store surplus generation that can later be returned to the power system during periods of high demand. Solar generation converts sunlight to electricity and can be scalable from residential rooftops to industrial acreage scale.
- Energy efficiency: Refers to increasing efficiency of existing buildings or appliances to reduce electricity use.
Jeff Cook, BPA’s vice president of Transmission Planning and
Asset Management, emphasized that it is unlikely a single solution exists among
the non-wire solutions.
“It’s important to also remember that any solution we arrive
at will have a cost associated with it, and not all solutions are equal in
terms of the benefit that they provide to our customers and constituents,” Cook
said. “Part of the ongoing analysis is whether one of these options, or a
combination of them, might help address the congestion problem and what
potential trade-offs BPA and the region would face as a result.”
In the meantime, Mainzer will continue to review the merits
of the I-5 Corridor Reinforcement Project along with any emerging information
on non-wire solutions.
“This line would provide a long-term transmission solution,
and so far, we haven’t found any other feasible and cost-effective options,”
said Mainzer. “We recognize the impact and uncertainty that this potential line
has on the affected communities in the I-5 corridor. But I want to be sure
every potentially feasible option has been explored before I make a decision of
this size and scope.”
For more information on the I-5 Corridor Reinforcement
Project, visit www.bpa.gov/goto/I5.
