Viewpoint: Speak up for energy efficiency and renewable energy
Derek Goldman
It’s Climate Solutions Week, and a great opportunity to take action for the climate is coming up on October 5 in Missoula, when the Northwest Power and Conservation Council (NPCC) will hold a public hearing.
Last month the Council unveiled its draft 9th Power Plan for western Montana and the entire Northwest region. The Power Plan—updated every five years—forms a blueprint to how the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA), regional utilities, and decisionmakers choose the energy resources needed to meet the Northwest’s electricity demand. Since the electricity generation is one of the top contributors to greenhouse gas pollution, transitioning to renewable energy is critical for slowing climate change.
The Northwest Power and Conservation Council is a regional agency consisting of two governor-appointed members from each of the four Northwest states. The Council Members typically host at least one in-person public meeting in each state for the purposes of taking public comment on the draft plan. The Montana meeting takes place on Monday, October 5, from 4:30pm to 6:30pm at the Edgewater Hotel in Missoula. As the sole public event in Montana, this will be only opportunity for western Montanans to speak in person to our Montana Council Members, Mike Milburn and Doug Grob, and to express our vision on how the region should meet our growing energy needs.
The Ninth Power Plan may be the most consequential one yet: surging demand, affordability, and climate change are all challenges to face. The plan forecasts surging energy demand from data centers and high-tech industries, electrification, and a growing population. Historically, energy conservation has enabled the region to serve new growth and maintain affordable bills.
Looking ahead, we need a diverse portfolio of clean energy, energy conservation and demand response programs, and battery storage to ensure affordable bills, keep the lights on, meet our climate goals, and help salmon and steelhead survive.
The strength of the Draft Plan is that it takes a balanced approach to energy, recommending a diverse portfolio of mostly renewable resources, conservation, and storage. This mix ensures resiliency and reliability and allows everyone in the region to contribute.
There are also areas where the Plan should improve. First and foremost, we need stronger targets for energy efficiency and conservation. While the draft is solid starting point in this regard, studies show more cost-effective conservation available. Every kilowatt-hour of energy saved through conservation or efficiency is that much less energy that utilities have to build or purchase, which saves utilities and their customers money and makes energy more affordable.
In addition, the Plan needs a greater emphasis on clean, renewable energy resources, many of which could supply more electricity in the region if we expand our transmission system.
Modeling shows that increasing high-voltage transmission capacity—especially for Bonneville—would allow us to displace potentially-expensive, new natural gas resources with less-polluting renewables. Likewise, integrating more battery storage can also add value to renewable resources, by providing firm capacity that can be charged while the sun is shining and the wind is blowing, and then later dispatched onto the grid. Developing more transmission and renewable energy resources will also allow us to be less dependent upon the Columbia River hydropower system, and that will contribute to critical efforts to recover once-abundant salmon and steelhead populations.
Since our founding more than four decades ago, the NW Energy Coalition has been concerned about affordability. More so today in the face of growing demand and rising power costs. We have the opportunity to build a better energy future in the region. We need to take advantage of this critical moment to get that right. Please attend the October 5 public hearing in Missoula or submit a written comment online by October 16. Thanks for speaking up for clean energy, energy affordability and our fish and wildlife resources.
Derek Goldman is the Montana Policy and Regulatory Associate for the NW Energy Coalition—an alliance of over 100 environmental, civic, and human service organizations, utilities, businesses and citizens, working to advance clean, equitable, and affordable energy policies throughout the Northwest.