NEPA meets government reinvention: Bonneville Power Administration`s business plan E.I.S.

Technical Report · Fri Dec 01 04:00:00 EST 1995

OSTI ID:126029

Wolfe, D V; Alton, C ^[1]; Linehan, A O ^[2]

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1. Bonneville Power Administration, Portland, OR (United States)
2. CH2M Hill, Portland, OR (United States); and others

During the early 1990`s Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) found its role as the Pacific Northwest`s largest wholesale marketer of electric power challenged by energy market deregulation, increasing competition from utilities and non-utility power sources, and uncertainty about future costs. Moreover, the rapid decline of endangered salmon stocks appeared to be leading to significant changes in the operations of the Columbia River hydroelectric system and limitations in the amount of hydro power BPA could sell its utility customers. In response, BPA began a fundamental review of all of its power and transmission products, rates, organization, and administrative procedures. BPA`s reinvention was clearly a major Federal action subject to NEPA, and the Business Plan EIS quickly became the focus of both BPA`s effort to question the fundamental mechanisms of its operations, and of the many customers, environmental organizations, and interest groups that watchdog BPA`s activities. In developing the Business Plan EIS, BPA faced multiple challenges: (1) complex, interrelated issues, including power sales contract terms, power rates, hydroelectric operations and salmon survival, transmission system deregulation, energy resource choices, conservation program reinvention, and fish and wildlife program management reform; (2) drawing appropriate boundaries around the subject of analysis instead of letting the EIS become the {open_quotes}black hole{close_quotes} for every regional environmental issue; (3) framing and evaluating broad policy choices in an understandable and useful manner without getting lost in the detail of the myriad decisions BPA faces; (4) keeping pace with evolving management thinking about BPA`s new direction; (5) linking Business Plan choices to market responses and ultimately to environmental impacts. The Business Plan EIS is an innovative effort to address broad policy directions, marketing relationships, and environmental impacts.

• Research Organization: National Association of Environmental Professionals, Washington, DC (United States)
• OSTI ID: 126029
• Report Number(s): CONF-9506115--
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY
BONNEVILLE POWER ADMINISTRATION
ECONOMIC ANALYSIS
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENTS
SOCIO-ECONOMIC FACTORS