Northwest Power & Conservation Council

Congratulations to Colorado State University Geosciences Professor Ellen Wohl on receiving the G.K. Warren Prize from the National Academy of Sciences. She is a member of the Council's Independent Science Advisory Board and Independent Science Review Panel. Well done!  https://lnkd.in/gNhVRdVu

Council staff and Vice Chair KC Golden recently headed north to Canada to attend a meeting of the Columbia Basin Trust, an organization created to address the impacts of hydropower in the Canadian portion of the Columbia River Basin. The Council and the Trust have a long history of collaboration and partnership on transboundary issues. On this trip, staff and Council member Golden were able to visit the Wycliffe wildlife corridor project, explore the headwaters of the Columbia, attend the Trust’s annual general meeting, and learn about the history of the Kootenay Indian Residential School, now the St. Eugene Resort Hotel.

Staff from Bonneville Power Administrationand Idaho Fish and Gamerecently presented on the success of the Southern Idaho Wildlife Mitigation project at the October Council meeting. Back in August, the Council’s Idaho office hosted staff from the offices of U.S. Sens. Jim Risch and Mike Crapo, as well as Congressman Mike Simpson, on a tour of sites connected to power planning and the Fish and Wildlife Program in Southeast Idaho that included the portion of Tex Creek Wildlife Management Area acquired under the mitigation agreement. Other stops included Idaho Falls Power, Fall River Electric Cooperative, and Yellowstone Cutthroat trout restoration projects on the South Fork of the Snake River and Canyon Creek. We appreciate everyone who took the time to visit and learn more from our project sponsors!

A trip to the headwaters, climate data in power planning, and success for the Southern Idaho Wildlife Mitigation project- check out this month’s Spotlight newsletter! https://bit.ly/487COHT

The next Council meeting will be held October 8 and 9 in Portland, OR and via Zoom. Topics include the use of climate data and market representation in modelling for the next power plan, an assessment of artificial production measures in the Fish and Wildlife Program, and an overview of the Southern Idaho Wildlife Mitigation project. See full agenda and register to attend via webinar: https://bit.ly/3YeiOA4

💯 Today, we're wishing a happy 100th birthday to former President Jimmy Carter! Did you know that President Carter helped create the Council when he signed the NW Power Act in December 1980, in one of the last acts of his presidency? In February 1977, Carter famously called national attention to energy conservation by donning a sweater and encouraging Americans to turn down their thermostat. That's one way to use less energy, but it's not what the Power Act means by energy efficiency. The Act calls for doing the same amount of work (or more) with less electricity. Since 1980, our power planning efforts have helped make the NW a national leader in efficiency. Working collaboratively with Bonneville Power Administration , Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance (NEEA) , Energy Trust of Oregon, #Northwest utilities, governments, the public, businesses & industries, we've: ⚡ Saved more than 7,800 aMW of electricity, or almost three times the average annual output of #GrandCoulee Dam. This has added up to almost $5 billion in avoided energy costs. We're not done, either! The Council tracks the costs and availability of thousands of efficiency measures, from 🍔 #hamburger griddles to 🏡 #heatpumps. Read more: https://bit.ly/4gQFi1o

We join everyone across Washington state and throughout the region in mourning the loss of former Governor Dan Evans, who passed away at the age of 98 on Friday. Evans’ remarkable life and decades of public service profoundly shaped Washington and the #Northwest. Gov. Evans served as the first chair of the Council from 1981-83, when he left to become a U.S. Senator. During our April meeting held at the Evergreen State College in Olympia, we had the opportunity to honor his contributions to the Council at one of his last public appearances. We feel immense gratitude that he was able to join us that evening to share his recollections of the early Council and his thoughts on the future of the #ColumbiaRiver Basin. Please join us in thinking of Gov. Evan’s family as they mourn and as they celebrate a life so well-lived. You can read more about our April event and Evans’ work on the first Council: https://bit.ly/3XTOri9 Captions: Photo 1: This 1982 photo shows members of the first Council, with two representatives each from #Oregon, #Idaho, #Washington, and #Montana. Representing Washington, Gov. Dan Evans, seated second from left, served as the first chair from 1981-83. Photo 2: Current Council members joined Evans for a photo at the reception. From left: Vice Chair KC Golden (Washington), Chair Jeff Allen (Idaho), Les Purce (Washington), Gov. Evans, Mike Milburn (Montana), Doug Grob (Montana), Ginny Burdick (Oregon), Ed Schriever (Idaho), and Executive Director Bill Edmonds. Not pictured: Louie Pitt (Oregon). Photo 3: As Council Chair Jeff Allen of Idaho, left, addresses an audience at a reception honoring Gov. Dan Evans, Council Member Les Purce of Washington hands Evans a blanket helping commemorate his years of service to the Northwest Power and Conservation Council.

Thanks to our partners at NOAA Fisheries, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, and Lower Columbia Estuary Partnership, Council members and staff were able to take a boat tour in the Columbia River Estuary as part of the September Council meeting in Astoria, OR. Stops included East Sand Island and the Astoria-Megler Bridge. The mouth of the Columbia River is crucial habitat for juvenile anadromous fish adapting from freshwater to saltwater through a process called smoltification. #fishfriday #fish #columbiariver

📰 The latest Spotlight newsletter is here! Read the highlights from our September meeting in Astoria, Ore.: Progress on energy efficiency goals & habitat restoration successes in the Columbia River Estuary. Also, you can explore shipwrecks in the "Graveyard of the Pacific." 🌊⚓⚰️ Learn more: https://bit.ly/3zyAU63

The next Council meeting will be held Sept 10 and 11 in Astoria, OR. Topics include an update from the Regional Technical Forum on progress towards energy efficiency goals and an overview of the Columbia Estuary Ecosystem Restoration Program. See full agenda and register to attend via webinar: https://bit.ly/3ToxlWR