My vote is for rolling blackouts. (during working hours, of course!)

Powerful choice: Salmon or electricity?
03/08/2001

Associated Press


PORTLAND, Ore.–The acting chief of the Bonneville Power Administration told regional energy planners Wednesday that continuing dry weather means emergency measures probably will be needed to ensure the Northwest has enough hydroelectricity this summer–at the expense of federal salmon recovery programs.

Steven Wright told the Northwest Power Planning Council that near record-low runoff from mountain snowpacks is expected, forcing the BPA to curtail some of its salmon programs in order to meet electricity demand and debt payments to the U.S. Treasury.

Power production at federal dams is limited by a salmon protection plan which calls for water to be held in storage reservoirs for release during spring and summer fish migrations.

The plan also calls for some water to be sent through spillways instead of turbines to provide a safer way for young salmon to get past dams on their way downriver to the ocean.

But those measures reduce power generating capacity by 10 percent.

Wright said Bonneville likely will have to reduce the amount of water sent through spillways this summer.

"If we get this incredibly low volume, we would have difficulty carrying out even a limited program," he said.

Bonneville officials estimate that, by September, there will be nearly a 50 percent chance the federal power marketing agency will be unable to meet its cash needs if it spills water for fish rather than use it for electricity.

"You really don't want a 50 percent chance of meeting your mortgage," Wright said.

A representative from the National Marine Fisheries Service–which designed the fish recovery plan–said reducing spills would certainly harm salmon.

"If we reduce spill, we reduce survival," said Brian Brown, the director of the NMFS hydropower program. "How much is something we have to calculate and have not done yet."

Brown said the drought-like conditions have not forced the fisheries agency to rethink its recovery plan.

"This is the worst year on record," Brown said, "and we're not going to plan for the worst year on record."

Brown and other officials said spillways do not save large numbers of salmon, and some members of the planning council seemed skeptical that it would be worth rolling blackouts.

"I don't think the people of this Northwest want to have blackouts where you could have the death of people because they don't have their homes heated," Leo Giacometto, a Montana representatives on the four-state council, said during a break in the meeting.

"For $1.6 billion, 160 fish saved," he said. "Those are awfully expensive fish."

Dick Watson, director of power council's planning division, told council members it would take a combination of spill reduction, reduced reservoirs and imported energy to meet consumer demand, maintain some salmon-related programs and, perhaps, save some water for a sunny day.

Since last winter, the wholesale price of electricity has increased from about $25 per megawatt hour to more than 10 times that figure. Importing electricity to make up for a shortfall of hydro power would be extremely costly.

The council–which represents Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington–also discussed the bleak possibility that Northwesterners could take tough conservation measures, lose salmon and still find their hard-earned energy reserves go toward helping California.

"If we reserve water to refill reservoirs to meet fish and power needs later on and then we lose those benefits because of an emergency in California, that's going to be a difficult reality for folks in the Northwest," said Eric Bloch, an Oregon representative.

yes, they are expensive fish: "For $1.6 billion, 160 fish saved ... "

How do they figure 160 fish will be saved?? How come not 1600??

Maybe if they (pretty much all Gov't ageniceis involved in this) hadn't of screwed up so much in the past, we'd have a little cushion on this one ... sad, sad, sad

[This message has been edited by Bob (edited 03-16-2001).]

100 million per fish is alot... BUT, if its the last fish of a run... its priceless.

They are just telling us now they plan to retain water so the air conditioners in California won't worry about rolling blackouts this summer. California won't pay this power bill either but don't worry the foolish rate payers in the Pacific Northwest will foot the bill.

Unless you are farmer or corporation being subsidized by the cheap power you recieve:

The governments policies towards the management of the natural resources here in the Pacific Northwest is nothing short of a disaster!

Off to New Zealand for me! I'm gone in October.

They ought to take some of that so called federal budget surplus and buy some windmills. They are going to get sued by so many environmental groups its not funny. Maybe Bush and his cronies can stage some TV conference on the Skykomish and deliver his plan to kill the salmon.

California would have less of a problem if they paid thier power bill. A number of plants are idle because they have not been paid for power the sold to California utilities and now can not afford to buy fuel to run.

The dry year in the Northwest is unfortunate and an act of nature over which we have no control but spilling water to preserve our endangered runs we can and should do.

As for California.... let them roast in thier own juices.

One of the most interesting news articles that I read regarding the "Crisis in California" was that Enron a large prodeucer of electricity from non renewable sources was keeping the majority of its windmill farms idle and produceing as much non renewable gas to electricity as possible in the high price market. But remember there is no conspiracy only profit motive.

Native son you're right on. Part of the problem in California is major manipulation of the electricity markets by out-of-state (Texas!) owners of California power generating stations. They have a strong incentive not to generate (drive up prices on the spot market), and then to turn on the generators when the price reaches a certain (astronomical) level. It's an easy way to maximize profits at the expense of the retailers and ratepayers. The problem of course is that Pacific Northwest ratepayers get dragged into this mess because of the inter-state electrical grid is connected to the Columbia River power grid. We, and Columbia River salmon, end up paying a high price for California's botched attempt at deregulation and the Federal government's failure to curb manipulation of the CA market.

A sad situation but it's nothing compared to what may happen in CA this summer. Winter is their low period for power use. Peak power demands occurs in summer. Fasten your seatbelts, it's about to get worse....


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MSB

The information I have seen on Calif's lastest blacksouts indicates that the windmill generation owners have not been paid in some time for goods delivered. Thier response is one of economics.

I am sure I arranged several trips with Bob on credit and did not pay when promised that he would be willing to take me for a few more trips knowing that I might pay him sometime later ... maybe.

Calif. has created one hell of a mess and unfortunately they are going to make us all pay. The Feds need to get envolved before this situation drags the whole contry into an economic abyss.

As Nativeson said it is going to get worse. Heck it is not even really hot yet and look at what is going on. I really am amazed that the media is being so quiet on this considerering the widereaching ramifications.

http://www.removedams.org/SOS-site/info/viewitem.cfm?ArticleID=102
The above link is to a speech by Oregon Governor Kitzhaber on the power/salmon picture.

[This message has been edited by Keta (edited 03-25-2001).]