Northwest energy supplies tight – consumers asked to conserve electricity
BONNEVILLE POWER ADMINISTRATION
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Friday, March 1, 2019
CONTACT: Mike Hansen, 503-230-4328
or 503-230-5131
Northwest energy supplies tight – consumers asked to conserve electricity
Portland, Ore. – Unseasonably cold temperatures, low stream flows for hydro production, transmission import constraints and high natural gas prices are putting pressure on the regional electricity system. BPA is taking steps to increase power supplies and reduce consumer demand to keep the federal power system operating smoothly and support regional reliability.
“It’s always a good idea to use electricity wisely, and it’s even more important when supplies are tight,” says Elliot Mainzer, BPA administrator.
As temperatures are forecasted to remain unseasonably cool across much of the region through the first week of March, BPA is asking customers to reduce energy use when possible to relieve stress on the power system.
“It’s supposed to be sunny over the next three days, so we’re asking customers to open their shades on south-facing windows and use the natural warmth of the sun to help heat their home,” said Snohomish County Public Utility District spokesperson Aaron Swaney. “We’re also asking them to turn the thermostat down a couple of degrees to give their furnace a break.”
“With regional weather continuing to be colder and snowier than usual, we always appreciate efforts by energy consumers to reduce their energy usage whenever possible,” Mark Johnson, Flathead Electric Cooperative general manager.
Tips for saving energy can be found here.
As the nation’s single largest supplier of carbon-free hydroelectricity, BPA takes its responsibilities to the region very seriously and is prepared to manage through all water conditions. BPA and its federal partners are tracking the low streamflow conditions in the Columbia and Snake river basins and will continue to explore various options for meeting the power needs of customers while upholding regional environmental stewardship obligations.
About BPA
The Bonneville Power Administration, headquartered in Portland, Oregon, is a nonprofit federal power marketer that sells wholesale electricity from 31 federal dams and one nuclear plant to 143 electric utilities, serving millions of consumers and businesses in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, western Montana and parts of California, Nevada, Utah and Wyoming. BPA delivers power via more than 15,000 circuit miles of lines and 260 substations to 511 transmission customers. In all, BPA markets about a third of the electricity consumed in the Northwest and operates three-quarters of the region’s high-voltage transmission grid. BPA also funds one of the largest fish and wildlife programs in the world, and, with its partners, pursues cost-effective energy savings and operational solutions that help maintain affordable, reliable and carbon-free electric power for the Northwest. www.bpa.gov
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