rp_0207_7.html
AROUND THE REGION
MONTANA
NorthWestern Energy has proposed a green power product in the company's Montana service territory. As the state's default electricity provider NorthWestern is required to offer green power to its customers under a law passed in the 2001 legislature. The initial proposal would offer customers Bonneville Environmental Foundation (BEF ) Green Tags , which promote the environmental benefits or attributes associated with renewable energy production separately from the actual power produced. The Green Tags would be offered to customers in 100 kilowatt hour blocks for $2 per block. If approved by the Public Service Commission , the program would begin July 1, 2002 and depending upon how the program develops, the price of the green power product could change. The marketing of the green tags will be a joint venture with the Montana Electricity Buying Cooperative . A high-profile launch and promotional campaign is planned to promote maximum participation
IDAHO
The The Idaho Department of Water Resources (IDWR ) this month denied water use permits for two proposed natural gas-fired power plants in the Rathdrum Prairie area of Northern Idaho. The 800-megawatt (MW) Cogentrix Energy plant and the 1300 MW Newport Generation plant sought the use of 17 million gallons of water a day from the Spokane Valley/Rathdrum Prairie Aquifer . In denying the permits IDWR stated they plants were not a good use of the water given the amount of growth expected in the region. Environmentalists, labor, and community leaders had protested the applications because of the impact on the aquifer. The plants would have used the water primarily to cool a turbine, creating steam to power a second turbine. The plants would not return the water to the aquifer, in part because of fears of contaminating the water supply and instead release it as steam. A water-cooled system is less expensive than other cooling systems available to the companies but uses far more water. The companies can appeal to the state water department director on the decision. Avista Utilities also has a permit request in to IDWR to withdraw 3 million gallons of water to expand its existing 170-megawatt natural gas plant east of Rathdrum.
WASHINGTON
The Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission
approved rate case settlement agreements for Puget Sound Energy
(PSE
) and Avista Utilities
this month. Effective July 1, 2002, PSE will implement an overall 4.6% electric rate increase, coming on the heels of a temporary 8.7% increase which stretched from April through June. The agreement includes provisions for reinvigorating PSE's energy efficiency investments, establishing a low-income energy assistance program, and extending a time-of-use rates pilot (see June Report
). Avista's settlement extends for an additional two to three years a temporary surcharge set to expire in 2004. Both settlement agreements include power cost adjustments.
OREGON
Oregon's statewide investments in energy conservation, new renewable resources and low-income weatherization came under threat this year by a legislative budget-balancing plan that Governor Kitzhaber
compared to Enron
-style accounting practices. But the Fair and Clean Energy Coalition
(FCEC
) succeeded in fending off efforts by various lawmakers to transfer the state's clean and affordable energy funds to general budget use. The pot of over $60 million per year was a tempting target, but FCEC was able to secure early promises from the Governor and Senate Majority Leader Gene Derfler
to keep the funds for their original purposes.
Quote of the Month
“I believe the tribes were wronged a long time ago(.) That's not my fault. But we decided while we didn't create the problem, we needed to be part of the solution. If we can go to the moon, we can share the water.”
— Apple grower Alan Davis in a July 1 Seattle Times story on a successful joint effort by the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla and local farmers to restore salmon to the Umatilla River and keep farming communities whole