Resource Planning

This page provides information on the Columbia Generating Station uprate, dry year tools, the Resource Program and the BPA White Book: Loads and Resources Study.

Columbia Generating Station Uprate

The Columbia Generation Station, or CGS, is a 1,207 gross MW boiling water nuclear reactor located in Richland, Washington. It began commercial operations in December 1984 and is licensed to operate through December 2043. While CGS is owned and operated by Energy Northwest, BPA markets 100% of the energy produced and pays for all of the costs which are included in the revenue requirements of the Power Services rate structure. 

Extended power uprate, EPU, is an option for U.S. commercial nuclear reactors to increase generating capability of the unit. An EPU of CGS will result in ~162MWe increase in output. Implementing an EPU at CGS, will require significant modification to major pieces of equipment such as the Electrical Distribution System, high-pressure turbine, condensate pumps and motors, and the main generator. Due to timing of CGS’s current life cycle management of major equipment, EPU implementation could prove beneficial due to coinciding with planned equipment replacement.

For more background information, please see the FY24 Q4 Quarterly Business Review Technical Workshop presentation, starting on slide 78. 

Energy Northwest and BPA are currently investigating the business case for an extended power uprate, or EPU. BPA will host a public meeting on April 8, 2025. Meeting details will be posted here, when available. Please see the event calendar for meeting details.  

Dry Year Tools

July 2016 - Updated Final Dry Year Guide

Resource Program

The Resource Program provides analysis and insight into long-term, least-cost power resource acquisition strategies. To accomplish this, the Resource Program examines uncertainty in loads, water supply, resource availability, natural gas prices, and electricity market prices to develop a least-cost portfolio of resources that meet BPA's obligations. BPA launched its Resource Program shortly after passage of the Northwest Power Act in 1980 to assess BPA’s need for power and reserves and develop an acquisition strategy to meet those needs.

For more information or to submit questions/comments, please contact Ryan Egerdahl.

Document Library

Comment Library

White Book: Loads and Resources Study

BPA publishes the Pacific Northwest Loads and Resources Study (White Book) each year to help plan for adequate, efficient, and reliable long-term load service for both the federal system and the region. The White Book provides BPA's projections of retail loads, contract obligations, contract purchases, and resource capabilities over a 10-year study horizon.

The White Book also contains information obtained from other formalized resource planning reports and data submittals, including those from individual utilities, the Northwest Power and Conservation Council (Council), and the Pacific Northwest Utilities Conference Committee (PNUCC).

White Books are available, by year, below. If technical appendixes are not included as separate linked documents, they are available upon request and a list of available reports can be found in Appendix A of the White Book.

 

White Book Library