Learn how the region is planning to meet future electricity needs

Learn how the region is planning to meet future electricity needs


snow covered mountain peak behind a forest

Planning for meeting the Pacific Northwest’s future electricity needs is one of the primary functions of the Northwest Power and Conservation Council. The council is responsible for preparing a Conservation and Electric Power Plan, which is updated every five years to ensure the region has an adequate, efficient, economical and reliable power supply to serve residential and business electric utility customers in Oregon, Washington, Montana and Idaho.

The Sixth Northwest Conservation and Electric Power Plan currently guides the region’s largest electricity supplier, the federal Bonneville Power Administration, and serves as a reference document for the region’s electric utilities in their own planning.

The Seventh Northwest Conservation and Electric Power Plan is being developed and the council has two upcoming webinars where the Power Committee will discuss its analyses and draft chapters of the Seventh Power Plan. The plan will address forecasted demand for electricity over the next 20 years and how the region can meet that demand through energy efficiency and conservation resources, renewable energy resources, and natural gas resources. Energy savings achieved by Energy Trust programs contribute to the council’s energy-efficiency targets for Oregon’s investor-owned utilities, Portland General Electric and Pacific Power. The plan also incorporates the council’s Fish and Wildlife Program.

Upcoming webinars:

Friday, August 28
9:30 – 11:30 a.m.

Thursday, October 1
9:30 – 11:30 a.m.

The draft plan is expected to be released in October 2015 for public comment and the final Seventh Power Plan revised and adopted by the council in February 2016.

Find more information about the Seventh Power Plan here.