Hydro and Wind Duke It Out in the Pacific NW

[arachadillo]

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2014756586_windpower13m.html

Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) officials say that limiting wind production could be required to free up space in the regional transmission system to handle hydropower generated from the melt-off of a huge mountain snowpack this year.

it's gonna be tough noogies for someone, until they possibly build a new transmission line that goes east, rather than the established north-south transmissions lines

[arachadillo]

1. Follow-up

Bonneville Power (BPA) addresses the over supply of renewables in the Pacific Northwest
http://www.bpa.gov/corporate/AgencyTopics/ColumbiaRiverHighWaterMgmnt/

noting,

"The events of early June 2010 illustrate how the increase in wind generation has influenced the ability to manage high flows on the Columbia River. After a dry winter, spring 2010 river flows were expected to stay fairly low. Throughout April and May, FCRPS operation focused on providing enough river flow and spill to meet objectives designed to protect endangered juvenile salmon migrating to the Pacific and on refilling reservoirs in Idaho, Montana and Washington by July. In early June, however, a strong Pacific jet stream brought storm systems with heavy precipitation and which produced flooding in some areas. Snake River streamflows nearly tripled, and Columbia River streamflows nearly doubled."

Dealing with the problem, they were forced to "Disposed of over 73,000 MWh at zero cost for the month of June"

so that "BPA delivered all wind power that was scheduled and produced" saying,

"Unlike thermal operators, wind operators have an economic incentive to operate as much as possible, regardless of system conditions. The PTC is currently $21 per megawatt-hour and state RECs are generally in the $8 to $20 per MWh range, so this incentive is significant."

In other words, a Federal agency that does not receive any state or federal subsidies was forced to give away electricity for free in order that some private, for profit wind companies could get state and federal subsidies.

The BPA notes that weather conditions along the Columbia basin are not expected to change over the years (emergency weather conditions will pop up).

The Oregonian recent reports on the costs of wind power
http://www.oregonlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2011/03/post_19.html

"Either way, the simplest formula is to divide all public subsidies for a project by the number of permanent jobs it creates. For Shepherds Flat, with $1.2 billion in subsidies for 35 permanent jobs, that equation delivers a cost per job of $34 million.

Oregon taxpayers pay a share of the federal subsidies, but for simplicity's sake, consider the cost of the jobs based on the Oregon tax credits alone.

Shepherds Flat is pre-certified for $30 million in state tax credits. At that price, the cost per permanent position is $857,000."

Having lived in Oregon for twenty years (and having once worked for a former Chair of the Oregon Democratic Party, although not in any political capacity), I'm reminded of one simple Oregon fact, the good people of Portland, Texas still runs the entire state, and Oregon ranks 42 out of 50 for state employment
http://www.bls.gov/web/laus/laumstrk.htm