2010 Member Agenda
In 2010 PNUCC will focus on several key issues facing the Northwest electric utility industry. The following is a synopsis of the Board of Directors’ highest priority issues and spells out PNUCC member actions to address them. Expected outcomes provide focus to the PNUCC effort and will guide us through the year.
Communicating What’s Important
In 2009 PNUCC moved forward with its Communication Initiative providing its members with communication tools, including the Behind the Light Switch booklet as part of the Plan Today. Power Tomorrow. educational campaign. These efforts focused on three key messages. In 2010 PNUCC’s Communication Committee will continue to emphasize the three messages of: needs are growing, new resources and technologies are the solution and costs are going up. Additional products may include a synopsis of the Council’s 6th Power Plan and communicating the complexity of operating the power system while meeting other societal requirements.
Outcomes:
Utilities have available consistent messages tailored to their area about the region’s need to acquire resources and the impacts to ratepayers.
Consumers understand how utilities are meeting their needs and what the impacts/costs are to them.
Engaging in Power Plan Actions
The Council will finalize its 6th Regional Power Plan in 2010. The Plan has several action items that that will be initiated in 2010. PNUCC’s System Planning Committee will identify key technical issues to work on with the Council staff. These may include review of the analytic tools used in the Plan’s development, use of loss-of-load-probability methods for assessing reliability, and use of economics versus system reliability for determining future resource needs.
Outcomes:
PNUCC members and the Council share a common view of system planning methods and analytic tools.
Assessing Regional Capacity
The PNUCC System Planning Committee will examine how utilities and other regional entities assess the system capacity and flexibility needs. Their assessment will estimate hydropower peaking capability and determine the best means for reflecting that capability in PNUCC’s Northwest Regional Forecast and other analyses. This work was initiated in 2009 and will continue in 2010.
Outcome:
An estimate of hydropower peaking capability commonly used in Northwest power planning.
Exploring Policies on Climate Change
The pace is increasing on the number of proposals to address climate change issues. At the national and state levels, legislative proposals are moving forward. In 2010, the PNUCC members will examine what is being proposed and assess the consequences to Northwest consumers and companies.
Outcomes:
Recognize the implications of state and federal proposals on climate change to the Northwest electric consumers.
Add to the PNUCC consensus view of key elements of national legislation.
Identify “best practice” for reducing carbon.
Sorting out Regional Conservation
There is a renewed focus on energy efficiency within the region. Our effort will be to look at the regional implications of conservation-related efforts including the Northwest Energy Efficiency Taskforce work, BPA’s role, the Washington renewable portfolio standard (I-937) requirements, the NW Energy Efficiency Alliance’s mission and the Council’s 6th Power Plan. We will also engage and track efforts to update state building codes and national appliance standards.
Outcomes:
Clarity on accounting of past and future savings due to the utilities’ and others’ programs.
Utility efforts are properly recognized.
Updated codes and standards that support utility efforts to capture energy savings.
Examining the Region’s Power Supply Picture
Two aspects of the region’s power supply picture will be examined: 1) the need to acquire additional power supply to maintain an adequate and reliable power system, and 2) the near-term (3-5 years) reliability of the power system.
Each year PNUCC provides a snapshot of the region’s loads and resources in its Northwest Regional Forecast. Looking out the next ten years, this document provides an indicator of need for new generation. Under the auspices of the System Planning Committee, we are reintroducing an estimate of the regional need to take action to meet peak demands. Bonneville Power Administration produces their view of the regional picture in their White Book as well as an assessment of the agency’s capacity needs.
The near-term reliability analysis has been done as part of the work of the Regional Adequacy Forum led by the Council and BPA. In 2010 the Council will estimate the region’s resource energy and capacity adequacy based on their adopted regional adequacy standards and metrics.
Outcomes:
A common and clear indicator of Northwest utilities’ need to acquire energy and capacity resources to reliably meet demand during the next 10 years.
A common and clear indicator of the near-term reliability of the Northwest power system.
An understanding of the similarities and differences of these analyses.
Measuring Progress on Fish and Wildlife
In 2010 we will work with the Council to develop and begin to use a set of High Level Indicators to communicate the region’s progress of fish and wildlife efforts
Outcomes:
A set of regionally accepted indicators that effectively demonstrate what is being done to help fish and wildlife in the region.
A regionally accepted and agreed upon scheme for crediting wildlife mitigation efforts that accounts for the investments that have been made to date, including incidental benefits from investments for anadromous and resident fish.
A targeted research, monitoring and evaluation strategy that is supported regionally.
Staying up on Integrated Resource Plans
As individual utilities continue to update or complete their integrated resource plans PNUCC members will be exposed to the insights of these plans and examine how they contribute to the regional resource picture. In 2010 BPA will also be finalizing an assessment of their future resources needs and making plans to fulfill them. PNUCC members will engage with BPA to understand BPA’s analysis as well as provide their expertise and ideas as BPA progresses.
Outcomes:
- PNUCC members gain insights into the analysis and results of individual utility resource acquisition plans, including the role of new technologies.
- BPA’s Resource Program provides a clear view of their future resource acquisitions and meets the needs of its customers.
Investigating Natural Gas Requirements for Electric Generation
The PNUCC Board of Directors agreed with a request to assess the role natural gas plays in meeting the needs of the NW electrical customers. Now that the basic scope of the effort has been defined, PNUCC members will work with gas industry experts to complete the analysis.
Outcomes:
An understanding of the amount of natural gas need for electric generation during the next ten years for meeting energy and peak demands, and the potential integration of intermittent generation (e.g. wind).
An understanding of the infrastructure required to deliver the supply of natural gas needed.
Identifying Regional Planning Practices
The System Planning has embarked on an effort to identify approaches used by utilities in long-range planning. The key elements of planning will be identified and summarized with the potential goal of developing a set of agreed-upon planning practices for the region and used by utilities when appropriate.
Outcomes:
Planning practices used in the Northwest for regional assessments are identified.
Evaluating Hydropower Generation
The majority of Northwest power supply is provided by the hydropower system. During 2010, PNUCC will evaluate the state of the hydropower system, the changes that are occurring and the direction future power supply is headed. The evaluation will include improvements in efficiency, removal of dams and their generation, adding generation to existing facilities, adding new facilities (eg pumped storage), and assessing long-term changes in water supply.
Tracking the Council
Each month PNUCC’s Council Report provides an in depth account of the Northwest Power and Conservation Council meetings. With this report PNUCC members have a strong sense of the topics that were addressed and the actions that were taken by the Council, allowing them to follow the key regional issues from the comfort of their own office.