Boosting Renewables For a Brighter Future

摘要

We have identified nine specific options to increase renewable energy development that are available to BPA and WAPA under their existing legislative authority. Even a partial implementation of some of these options could bring hundreds or even thousands of megawatts of additional renewable energy into the power grid serving the Western United States. Clearly the first step should be for the Congress to seek to have the respective agencies explore these options, and respond as to their concurrence that the options are viable and within existing authority. The Congress could provide encouragement to the agencies to pursue these options through the oversight process. If appropriations or increased borrowing authority are required to achieve some of these goals, these needs should be identified. Congress might consider new legislation if BPA and WAPA fail to implement policies to acquire significant new renewable resource within the next two years. Within a short period of time- no more than six months -we believe that both BPA and WAPA could be well underway in a major cycle of renewable energy acquisition. Given the rising price of natural gas, increased dependency on imported natural gas, and the tremendous local economic development opportunities created by developing our domestic renewable energy industry, it would be most unfortunate if these agencies were to delay this process. A brighter energy future awaits us.