Other renewable sources supply a small share of the regional power supply. In 1997, renewable sources supplied approximately 62 percent of the electricity used in the region. In contrast, for the nation as a whole, renewable sources supplied approximately 13 percent of total electric power generation. The sources of power shown in the table below reflect power generation for 1997 under actual water conditions, adjusted for imports to and exports from the region. The electric system serving Oregon is an interconnected network, and the boundaries of the system do not match the political boundaries of the state.
Electric power generating facilities outside of Oregon meet much of Oregon's demand for electricity.
Similarly, electric power plants located in Oregon serve loads elsewhere at times. Because the electric system is an interconnected network that crosses state boundaries, we analyze the energy supply on a regional basis. Electric generators throughout the region plus imports from out of the area serve the electric loads in Oregon. That region includes all of Oregon, Washington, Idaho and Utah, portions of western Montana, western Wyoming, northern Nevada, and a small part of northern California. A large amount of the NWPP-US generation comes from hydroelectric power.