Given the short notice, the Administration, including Bonneville, has not conducted an interagency review and complete analysis of The Electricity Emergency Relief Act of 2001. My comments do not attempt to address legal or policy issues arising out of the bill. Instead, I hope that information on Bonneville s experiences with issues addressed within the bill, will help the Subcommittee as it deliberates on the West Coast s near-term electricity problems. My testimony is limited to providing factual information on Bonneville actions and experiences relating to three sections of the bill. Federal transmission owners such as Bonneville would be authorized and directed to participate.
Constraints come from many sources.
Additionally, the federal operator considers their obligations under the Columbia River Treaty and their tribal trust responsibilities as they balance these purposes. There are times when meeting one or another purpose in a particular way may reduce power generation. Examples of these limitations include spilling water over the projects instead of generating power, augmenting flows in the spring, and holding reservoirs at minimum operating pool, among others. With the cooperation of the Federal agencies, states, and tribes, Bonneville is seeking to reach agreement on alternative operations this spring and summer within the basic parameters of the BiOp. Bonneville is concerned that section 302 could be read to supersede Bonneville s existing authority, which has adequately allowed Bonneville to maximize generation.