Turmoil at an Iconic American Hydropower Giant
Energy Gang
Wood Mackenzie
4.6 • 1.3K Ratings
🗓️ 27 September 2019
⏱️ 58 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
The Bonneville Power Administration, the government-owned “power marketing agency” that serves the Pacific Northwest, is facing a strong current of problems.
As cheap renewables make hydro less competitive in the region, BPA is now bleeding money. There’s now concern that its utility customers will stop buying hydro after contracts expire.
Meanwhile, the cost of rehabilitating salmon populations is mounting. As the power provider grapples with $15 billion in debt, some are calling for a reformation of BPA. How can the government prepare the hulking agency for the competitive clean energy future?
We’ll talk to a Jeremy P. Jacobs, a reporter for E&E’s Greenwire, who’s been digging into the story. You can read parts one, part two and part three of his ongoing series.
Then, climate strikes swept the globe last Friday, raising unprecedented media coverage. How is this different from previous mobilizations around climate? We’ll put this moment in the context of recent history.
Finally, offshore wind is getting dirt cheap in Europe. According to Carbon Brief, recent offshore wind prices are set to compete with existing gas seven years ahead of schedule. We’ll venture out to the leading edge of offshore wind development.
Read along with us:
- E&E News: Jeremy Jacobs’ reporting on Bonneville Power Administration
- New York Times: Climate Protesters and World Leaders on Same Planet, Different Worlds
- GTM: UK’s Offshore Wind Auction So Successful It Might Have Made Itself Redundant
- Carbon Brief: Record-Low Price for UK Offshore Wind Cheaper Than Existing Gas Plants by 2023
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | The Energy Gang is brought to you by Sungrow. Sungrow is the leading solar inverter supplier by volume in the world |
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| 0:35.0 | From Green Tech Media, this is the Energy Gang. Weekly debates and discussions on the fast-changing world of energy. |
| 0:48.0 | I am Stephen Lacy. I'm a contributing editor at GTM. Thanks a lot for being here. |
| 0:53.4 | This week, financial turmoil at one of the nation's most iconic hydropower producers. |
| 0:58.1 | The Bonneville Power Administration, the Holking Public Federal Company that serves the Pacific |
| 1:02.4 | Northwest, is facing a strong current of problems. |
| 1:05.0 | Cheap renewables are making hydro less competitive in the region. |
| 1:08.0 | BPA is now bleeding money, and there's concern that its utility customers will stop buying hydro when their contracts are up. |
| 1:15.1 | Meanwhile, the cost of rehabilitating salmon populations is mounting, and so too is political pressure |
| 1:20.0 | to abandon some dams. What is going to happen to BPA? We will talk to a reporter who's been digging deep into this story. |
| 1:26.9 | Then the kids are all right. Climate strikes swept the globe last Friday, |
| 1:31.3 | raising unprecedented media coverage and causing hysteria among |
| 1:35.6 | crusty old conservative commentators. Is this different from previous mobilizations around climate? |
| 1:42.0 | Finally, offshore wind is getting so cheap in Europe. It's |
| 1:45.3 | now set to compete with existing gas seven years ahead of schedule. We'll venture out to the |
| 1:49.5 | leading edge of offshore wind development. I am here alongside my co-hosts, they are |
... |
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