Resources & Publications

Vol. 5, No. 3 When big money talks, it pays to listen: Financiers cast critical eye on coal plant proposals Background This February, a press release from four of the country’s largest financial institutions caught utilities’ attention. Citigroup, Morgan Stanley, Chase and Bank of America announced they had endorsed a set of carbon principles to…

Points and counterpoints on decoupling Transformer Background Our Nov. 28 Transformer on decoupling, a strategy for overcoming potential revenue losses for utilities that invest in energy efficiency, elicited a flurry of electronic responses. Several writers were complimentary; others sought clarifications of insider terminology (we’ll keep working on that!) or additional information, which we supplied them…

Size matters ‘Mega’ wind farms could make new transmission practical Background The number and size of new and projected Northwest wind farms have exploded, matching the worldwide annual growth rate of 37-percent for the past seven years. Wind, however, continues to provide just a small fraction of the region’s power. To really combat global warming…

Volume 4, Number 8 Decoupling 101: Breaking the link between energy sales and utility revenue Background Who doesn’t love conservation? We all know that more efficient energy use is the cheapest and cleanest resource going. The recognition that “the cheapest kilowatt is the one we don’t use” hardly qualifies as a “Eureka!” moment any more.…

Volume 4, Number 7 PacifiCorp’s dilemma Background PacifiCorp is a large investor-owned utility serving portions of six states: Oregon, Utah, Wyoming, California, Washington and Idaho. In the not-to-distant past, NW Energy Coalition and other clean-energy advocacy groups commended PacifiCorp’s foresight in assessing the cost of carbon emissions while compiling its 2004 integrated resource plan (IRP)…

Volume 4, Number 6 Clean energy forces win a lot, lose a little in BPA’s power allocation scheme Table of Contents Background Double, double, toil and trouble – The basic problem Renewed interest – Renewables commitment Tracks of my tiers – Meeting load growth How high’s the water, momma? – Power allocations Fish keep the…

Volume 4, Number 5 Power Council-BPA study shows feasibility of integrating wind in the Northwest Background In December 2004, the Northwest Power and Conservation Council – the regional power-planning agency representing the governors of Montana, Idaho, Oregon and Washington – released its 5th Northwest Power Plan. The 5th Plan was groundbreaking. Not only did it…