NEPA strategy for the Bonneville Power Administration energy resource acquisition
- Bonneville Power Administration, Portland, OR (United States)
- CH2M HILL, Portland, OR (United States)
The Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) has a statutory obligation to supply cost-effective electric power to its customers. BPA must also be consistent with the Pacific Northwest Electric Power Planning and Conservation Act, which requires consideration of the Northwest Power Planning Council`s Conservation and Electric Power Plan and Fish and Wildlife Program. The challenge is to operate effectively within an increasingly competitive and dynamic electric utility market while continuing its commitment to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). BPA developed a tiered approach to its environmental analyses associated with energy resource planning and acquisition. The Resource Programs Environmental Impact Statement (RPEIS) is a programmatic document designed to support energy resource decisions for several years. The RPEIS includes a description of the environmental impacts and potential mitigation measures for various energy resources-including conservation, efficiency improvements, renewable resources, cogeneration, combustion turbines, nuclear, and coal. Information was also provided on fuel switching, load management, and emerging technologies. After analyzing the environmental trade-offs among resources, the RPEIS focuses on the cumulative effects of adding these resources to the existing power system. The Record of Decision documents that BPA`s resource acquisitions will include all cost-effective conservation and efficiency improvements, supplemented by a mix of renewables and thermal resources. Subsequent site-specific documents have been prepared on individual resource acquisitions. By focusing environmental reviews on the actual issues ripe for decision and by providing timely environmental information to the public and to the decisionmakers, this tiered approach led to better decisionmaking. BPA was able to operate in a more business-like manner while assuring NEPA compliance.
- Research Organization:
- National Association of Environmental Professionals, Washington, DC (United States)
- OSTI ID:
- 125997
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-9506115--
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Resource Programs : Draft Environmental Impact Statement, Volume 2, Appendices.
Resource Programs : Draft Environmental Impact Statement. Volume 1, Environmental Analyses.