News Shorts

August 16, 2005

FIRE PUTS BIG BPA LINE OUT FOR 26 HOURS

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A western Montana forest fire forced BPA's Garrison-Taft double-circuit 500-kilovolt transmission line out of service from shortly after 6 p.m. (Pacific time) Aug. 10 until 8 p.m. Aug. 11. The Tarkio fire, west of Missoula, jumped into the BPA right-of-way, overran some fire fighter positions and tripped the lines, forcing BPA dispatchers to reroute the power onto other transmission lines. No customers lost service, and loads on the line were shifted to other transmission circuits in the area. Maintenance crews flew over the line to inspect for possible damage. The line appeared soot covered but undamaged and it was re-energized. No other BPA facilities are threatened at this time by Northwest forest fires.

A TOPSY-TURVY RUNOFF SEASON ENDS

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The observed January though July runoff at The Dalles Dam is 81.3 million acre-feet, which is 76 percent of the 30-year (1971-2000) average of 107.3 maf. In the full 77 years of record keeping (1929-2005), this is the 14th lowest January through July period. It is also shaping up to be the sixth straight below-average water year, and the lowest total over a period of five consecutive years. Barring unscheduled plant outages or other unforeseen circumstances, the region's utilities have sufficient electrical generating capability to meet demand.

ISSUE ALERT EXPLAINS NORTHWEST GRID OPTIONS

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The three choices BPA now faces on ways to improve Northwest grid operation and planning are briefly reviewed in a new BPA's Issue Alert, "Future of the Northwest Grid." BPA is taking comments through Sept. 9 on whether it should pursue:

• Grid West
• Transmission Improvements Group proposal, or
• Continue separate utility operations.

News Shorts is edited by Bill Murlin 503-230-5141.
For more information, please contact;
Ed Mosey at 503-230-5359 or
Mike Hansen at 503-230-4328