 Dry
reservoirs in the Northwest mean possible power outages and high
electric bills. Eighty percent of the region's power comes from
hydroelectricity. (ABCNEWS.com) No Rain, No Power
Dry Winter Means Power Shortage for Region
By Neal Karlinsky
The Pacific
Northwest is known for pounding, consistent rain.
Without that
rain the region could be headed for catastrophic power shortages
and massive rate increases. California Governor Gray Davis met
with President Clinton today and asked for an extension to ease
his state’s energy crisis and prevent imminent blackouts.
Farther north in Tacoma, residents are shelling out more money
during their state’s power crisis. The Pacific Northwest
may have to rely on California to supply them with power since
the area’s resources are thinning.
Roughly 80
percent of all power used in the Northwest comes from hydroelectricity.
Because there’s usually so much rain in the region, residents
have enjoyed some of the lowest rates in the nation. But that,
like the constant rain, has come to an end, at least for now.
“The
situation now I would consider an emergency as far as we’re
concerned,” said Mark Crisson, president of Tacoma Public
Utilities.
This year,
the reservoirs that feed the dams needed to produce this power
have nearly dried up. Dams and reservoirs have reached the driest
point they’ve seen in 70 years, according to officials. Forecasts
do not call for more rain in the area this winter, either.
“Across
Washington State reservoirs are reaching levels not ever seen
before,” Crisson said.
Lights
Out in Tacoma
Without hydroelectric power, utilities are being forced to buy
electricity on the open market where prices have soared largely
due to power shortages in California. As a result, utilities in
cities like Tacoma, Washington have raised rates nearly 50 percent
to keep up with the costs. The rate hikes are forcing residents
to shut off their lights and to turn down their thermostats.
“I don’t
want to use all my money that I should normally use for food to
pay an electric bill,” said Tacoma resident Evelyn Undziakiewicz.
There is
an aggressive campaign by congressional delegations and the governors
from Washington and Oregon to get federal relief from the power
rate problems in the Northwest. Washington Gov. Gary Locke is
angry that the Federal Regulatory Commission has protected California
rate payers by placing a cap on wholesale power rates there but
refused to do the same for other customers in the West. Locke,
and the others, believe Washington rate payers are paying for
California’s problems.
“Frankly,
the Federal Regulatory Commission has left West Coast customers
twisting in the wind,” Crisson said.
Rain is
Best Solution
Mel White, president of C and C Containers Corp., a bottling plant,
has brought in diesel generators to cut costs. At his Tacoma-based
plant, lights are turned off in offices and the rest of the plant
uses only bare lighting to keep costs at a minimum.
“The
situation must change for us to stay in business,” he said.
“I think over the next few months you’re going to see
a lot of smaller companies declare bankruptcy, have a lot more
layoffs.”
In a normal
year up to 25 percent of the Northwest’s power during the
winter months comes from California. Producers there are borrowing
on pollution credits for next year to ramp up production but power
managers here don’t expect much help from the South in the
next month or two.
The best
solution is more rain which would help bring the hydroelectric
facilities back to capacity. But history has shown that when there
is a dry November and December then there is only a 10 percent
to 15 percent chance of a wet January and February.
The worst
case scenario is extreme cold weather with no rain, which would
mean extremely high rates and the possibility of rolling blackouts.
ABCNEWS’ Mike Gudgell and Ray Homer contributed
to this report.
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