Department of Energy and Western Area Power Administration Issue New Proposals on Hydropower
On November 27, the U.S. Department of Energy and the Western Area Power Administration’s joint outreach team laid out a set of proposals in a Federal Register notice that are aimed at reforming Western’s hydropower marketing amid electrical grid upgrades. The DOE and Western say their recommendations would improve Western’s operations and optimize its transmission services but some lawmakers assert that the measures will drive up electricity prices. The new proposals are the result of a directive from DOE Secretary Steven Chu calling on Colorado-based Western and the other three power marketing administrations — the agencies that oversee the nation’s hydropower distribution — to update their strategic and capital plans to accommodate grid upgrades. The proposals are open for public comment until January 22. The full story is available here (subscription required).
