Northwest strategies for least-cost planning

Journal Article · · Forum Appl. Res. Publ. Pol.; (United States)

OSTI ID:5937250

Litchfield, J

In 1980, Congress passed the Northwest Power Act. It authorized the four Pacific Northwest states (Oregon, Idaho, Washington, and Montana) to create the Northwest Power Planning Council for long term electrical power planning. The council is a policy making body that falls between a regulatory agency and an advisory council. The council's first Northwest power plan was published in 1983. Because of changing conditions, the plan was revised and updated, and a new plan was published in January 1986. The plan is designed to ensure that the region has an adequate supply of electric power during the next 20 years at the lowest cost to the region. Preserving the region's low-cost electricity, which at a wholesale cost of 2.3 cents per kWh is substantially below the national average, is vital to the Northwest's economy. The statute requires the council to give priority to the most cost-effective resources, beginning with conservation. Indeed, conservation is to be treated as a resource equivalent to a generating resource. After conservation, prime consideration is to go to renewable resources, then to generating resources using waste heat or high-fuel conversion efficiency, and finally to conventional thermal resources.

• OSTI ID: 5937250
• Journal Information: Forum Appl. Res. Publ. Pol.; (United States), Journal Name: Forum Appl. Res. Publ. Pol.; (United States) Vol. 3:3; ISSN FARPE
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY
293000 -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Policy
Legislation
& Regulation
296000* -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Electric Power
COOPERATION
COST
ELECTRIC POWER
ENERGY CONSERVATION
ENERGY POLICY
FEDERAL REGION X
GOVERNMENT POLICIES
LEGISLATION
NORTH AMERICA
PLANNING
POWER
REGIONAL COOPERATION
USA