This is a snapshot of Northwest power supply and electricity demand. For more information, contact John Fazio.

October 2008 Summary: The region has ample supplies over the next five years to avoid significant power curtailments. Counting existing resources only and including about 2,200 average megawatts of uncontracted regional market supply, the annual energy surplus is forecast to be about 1,900 average megawatts by 2013. The most critical period, however, appears to be summer, due to increasing air conditioning demand and reductions in hydroelectric capability. The 2013 summer capacity surplus is estimated to be about 1,400 megawatts (it takes about 1,000 megawatts to power the city of Seattle). For more information, please see the 2008 Adequacy Assessment (330k Word).

Although the risk of a major supply shortage for the region is minimal, utilities are actively pursuing new resource and conservation acquisition for a number of reasons; to meet their own local needs, to satisfy state mandated renewable resource portfolios or to minimize dependence on market supplies. The Council is developing a regional resource acquisition strategy that will address these and other issues in its next power plan due out next year.

Columbia River runoff volume forecast

For more narrative information, see the National Weather Service Northwest River Forecast Center. For more data including runoff history, see BPA Hydrology.

The 2nd table lists river flow at key Lower Snake and Columbia dams.

New resources either recently online or coming online soon.
See how much Northwest power comes from hydropower vs other sources.

Power flow in and out of the region

For more information, see Bonneville's intertie analyses

Additional reports