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[CU 1338 / May 12, 2008]
Final Hydro BiOp Finally Released
Federal attorneys needed a hand truck to deliver the latest biological opinions from NOAA Fisheries to Judge James Redden--4,000 pages that outline future operations of the hydro system, BuRec irrigation projects on the upper Snake, and a harvest regime that aims at catching more ESA-listed fish as soon as they recover. The region responded with a collective shrug, waiting for environmental and fishing groups to announce another challenge in court. But this year, the salmon calculus may be different, since most influential lower river tribes have backed the new BiOp in return for hundreds of millions of dollars in new fish-recovery projects.
Some Pan PacifiCorp's All-Source RFP; New Green RFP Filed
Some Oregon intervenors aren't happy with PacifiCorp's 2000-MW flexible RFP. In comments filed in late April, they claim it tilts toward the utility's self-build options or imposes onerous conditions on would-be-bidders. However, the state's regulatory staff thinks the proposed RFP--which calls for baseload, intermediate-load, and summer-peak resources that would enter commercial operations sometime during 2012 through 2017--will pass muster once 18 conditions are met.
Avista Buys 50-MW Twin Buttes Wind Project From Energy Northwest
A week after hinting the deal was in the offing, Avista announced last week that it had acquired the rights to develop a 50-MW wind farm near Reardan, located about 20 miles west of Spokane. Energy Northwest spent the last three years trying to get the project off the drawing board, but unreliable funding from a federal production-incentive program made it uncompetitive with private developers with access to the marginally steadier production tax credit.
Power Players: Avista Leader Scott MorrisAvista Corp. has weathered a severe financial storm dating to the 2000-2001 energy crisis, and has taken a back-to-basics approach focused on its electric/natural-gas utility business. CEO/President/Chairman of the Board Scott Morris discussed Avista's turnaround in a recent interview with Clearing Up, along with the company's extensive infrastructure upgrades, diversifying resource future, innovation culture, dual-fuel advantages and carbon footprint.
Also In Clearing Up This Week . . .
- OPUC Approves PGE Investment in Smart-Meter Technology
- DOE Continues Defending FutureGen Changes
- FERC Filing Confirms PacifiCorp Plan to Buy 520-MW Chehalis Plant
- Settlement Reached in Colstrip Groundwater-Contamination Lawsuit
...And Much More!
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