Council Sets Four Public Hearings on Draft Power Plan

Four public hearings have been scheduled to accept public comments on the Draft 2021 Northwest Power Plan, which the Council released September 14 for a 60-day comment period, through November 19.

The Northwest Power Act of 1980 requires the Council to conduct at least one public hearing in each of the four Northwest states represented on the Council when accepting public comments on a draft Northwest Power Plan or Columbia River Basin Fish and Wildlife Program. In order to protect public health during the pandemic, the Council has decided not to conduct in-person hearings. Instead, each of the states will host an online hearing, and persons are encouraged to attend their state's hearing. However, people who live outside the host state are welcome to attend the hearings and testify.

Sign up here to participate in one of the following hearings:

• September 27, 5-7pm Mountain, 4pm-6pm Pacific, hosted by Montana
• October 7, 5-7pm Pacific, 6pm - 8pm Mountain, hosted by Washington
• October 12, 1:30-3:30pm Pacific, 2:30-4:30pm Mountain hosted by Oregon
• October 14, 5pm-7pm Mountain, 4pm-6pm Pacific, hosted by Idaho

The draft plan looks 20 years into the future and charts a course for the Northwest electricity system. That system is transitioning away from fossil fuels to adapt to the changing economics of the power supply and to comply with state, local, and utility policies to lower carbon emissions.

The resource strategy of the daft plan recommends a power supply comprising:

• existing hydropower, which provides flexibility to support new renewable energy projects;
• solar;
• wind;
• energy efficiency;
• demand response (voluntary reductions in use during periods of high demand, with compensation);
• imports of power from outside the Northwest;
• existing nuclear power;
• electricity from remaining power plants fueled by coal;
• and natural gas plants to help during periods of high demand.