February 22, 2002—Facing increased energy demand in the Pacific Northwest, the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) says it wants to work with citizens, interest groups, and utilities to test alternatives to building transmission lines. Options include conservation, distributed generation, pricing incentives, energy use curtailment and demand-side management.
By working with stakeholders in advance, BPA hopes to create a more cost-effective and efficient regional system. To be effective, measures must be targeted in areas experiencing transmission problems.
The suggested changes are included in recommendations from a report titled “Expansion of BPA Transmission Planning Capabilities.” They will be part of a ten-year plan that will be updated every other year.
According to the report, BPA has experienced nearly a 2-percent annual growth in demand since the late 1980s. In that same time period, the agency has dealt with the increasing demands through a combination of upgrades of existing facilities and advanced controls. These options were pursued to keep the system operating reliably and efficiently but also to avoid the expensive and sometimes controversial work of stringing new wires.
For PDF versions of the report, maps, and letters of support from utilities and energy planning groups, contact BPA.
