The 6th Northwest Power and Conservation Plan could be the roadmap to a coal-free, clean energy future

Blog post from NW Energy Coalition

Every five years, the Northwest's official power planning agency - the Northwest Power and Conservation Council -- conducts a fresh assessment of the region's long-term electricity needs and issues a blueprint for meeting them.

This is no idle exercise. Bonneville Power Administration (the federal agency that provides almost half of the Northwest's power) and electric utilities serving Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Montana use the plans to guide their resource choices for affordably meeting customer needs. Will growth be covered with clean resources such as new renewables and energy efficiency? What about dirty coal and other fossil fuels? And how much of each?

A draft 6th Northwest Power and Conservation Plan, covering the period from 2010 through 2029, has been released for public comment. Already, utilities, Bonneville, industrial customer groups and public-interest advocates are sparring over conservation targets and the weight to be given to climate concerns.

Since Council members - two from each of the four states - directly represent their governors, this process takes on political dimensions. Six votes are needed for approval.

That's why citizen participation will be crucial ... to defend the draft's strong clean-energy recommendations and to strengthen its climate provisions. Public input on clean energy made all the difference five years ago, resulting in a 5th Power Plan that called for meeting demand growth almost entirely with new renewable energy and energy efficiency.

The public now has opportunities to provide written and oral comments on the draft plan and the Council is hosting more than a half-dozen public hearings around the region to take in-person comments. You can find out more about the draft 6th Plan and the public hearings at http://www.nwenergy.org/issues/6thplan

Your efforts can help make the 6th Northwest Power and Conservation Plan a true clean and affordable energy plan for Washington state and the rest of the Northwest.