Page 8 - pnucc annual report 2020 final flip 3_Neat
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2020 PNUCC
BREAKING NEWS
ANNUAL MEETING
Tracking analytics quantity and characteristics of resources Then our attention moved to California where
for planning needed to meet future demand. policies and practices caught PNUCC’s
attention during a particularly dramatic heat
Even with so much other news taking center Unique this year, was the deep dive the
event that extended across the entire West.
stage this year, PNUCC never took its eye system planning experts took to explore a
The California Independent System
off of collecting data. Engaging in discussions wide range of questions. From comparing
Operator (CAISO) struggled to meet energy
about whether there will be enough electric how different utilities’ IRP departments are
requirements that led to load shedding and
generation to meet demand, transmission structured to exploring how individual regional
limited blackouts that rolled through the
line capacity to move power, and utility loads are correlated to one another,
Golden State.
accompanying concerns around resource these investigations provided far more than
adequacy remain a focus as the region marches some insight into a single question. They A number of measures were taken, including
forward with decarbonization. were opportunities for gaining a deeper selling surplus hydropower from the
understanding of long-term planning. Northwest, and calling for demand response
The Northwest Regional Forecast released
and conservation to ease the pressure on
in the spring of 2020 again noted a significant demand. Yet, the incident continues to raise
shift in resources will occur with the retirement Policy continues questions about whether the West will have
of coal-fired power plants in the next several to make the news enough power to meet demand with the
years. Recognizing a potential shortage of characteristics of the changing resource mix,
The regional effort to decarbonize has kept
electricity during peak demand periods— as we experience more frequent, hotter and
PNUCC’s System Planning Committee busy
especially during the summer months, the longer-lasting heat waves that increase
exploring the relationship of the policies on
region is focused on what resources will be cooling for homes and businesses.
reliability. Of particular interest has been the
ready to ensure adequacy. And PNUCC
state of Washington’s Clean Energy
members are deeply engaged in the continuing PNUCC members discussed this very
Transformation Act (CETA), which grew out
effort to develop a Regional Resource possibility in June when CAISO presented its
of the failure of earlier carbon initiatives in
Adequacy Program in partnership with the readiness report for the summer of 2020. The
Washington. Many member utilities are
Northwest Power Pool. report predicted only a one percent chance
actively participating in the rulemaking.
of a load shedding event, but also noted that
In addition, PNUCC is active in the a combination of low hydropower supplies
CETA will impact the entire western market,
development of the Council’s 2021 Power and a more widespread and prolonged heat
calling for electricity in the state to be 100%
Plan, still scheduled for completion in the wave across the West could result in such an
carbon-neutral by 2030 and all electricity
first half of 2021. One of our goals is to ensure event—and it did, even with average hydro.
used in state be generated by renewable or
that the new Power Plan provides a
non-emitting sources by 2045.
reasonable and accurate picture of the
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