BPA: Rates going up

CASCADE LOCKS — City Council got a presentation from Energy Efficiency Services Group representatives Debbie Swanson and Brandon Blanchard at its March 23 meeting. Cascade Locks contracts with this consultant group to guide its energy policy with an eye on efficiency and effectiveness.

Of note is the group’s service in helping customers to utilize rebate programs, a benefit that is underutilized by many residents. For more information on how to get rebates on things like new appliances and energy-related home repairs, contact Interim City Administrator Gordon Zimmerman.

The coming increase in electrical rates was up for discussion. A federal judge recently issued a preliminary injunction against the Columbia River Operating Power System to better protect endangered salmon and steelhead, and the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) said that costs will be going up as a result. The injunction requires more water to be directed through the spillways to ensure easier fish passage, which means less available for energy production.

Cascade Locks buys power from the BPA and distributes it locally. The cost is based on the city’s “High Water Mark,” referring to “that point in the supply of electricity where the cost of the power increases.” Zimmerman also pointed out that the city’s current fee structure reveals that industrial users have an unfair advantage; he encouraged a rate/cost analysis before making decisions about the forthcoming rate increase, and the council agreed.