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DAILY ENERGY TIP

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Nest perched on Western's structure

Western crew shows concern for local wildlife

Read about efforts last month to save a fledgling owl stuck precariously in the crevice of a Western Area Power Administration tower near Prescott, Ariz., in the News Features section of our Newsroom. Great horned owls took over a red-tailed hawk's nest in the tower shown in this photo.

TANC Transmission Project scoping comment period extended through July 30

Western and the Transmission Agency of Northern California have extended the public scoping comment period for the proposed TANC Transmission Project by an additional 60 days, until July 30, 2009, to accommodate requests for additional time to comment (176 kb pdf) on the preliminary proposed TTP study areas (2.3 MB pdf).

Informal meeting on OCP Cost Allocation

Informal customer meetings held at the Rocky Mountain, Desert Southwest regional offices and the Colorado River Storage Project Management Center May 20 to 22 rolled out cost allocation methodology recommendations for the Operations Consolidation Project. Customer comments were requested and are due by June 22. Visit the OCP page to see incoming comments and Western's responses to them.

Transmission Infrastructure Program announced

lineman on transmission tower

The nation's transmission infrastructure
receives a boost in the American
Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

The May 14 publication of our new Transmission Infrastructure Program in the Federal Register, gives Western a solid foundation to build partnerships that will make concrete the vision established in Section 402 of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

This milestone marks the end of the public process that helped us define the policies and practices to follow in exercising our new borrowing authority granted under Section 402.

“With the ground rules in place, the stage is set for initial project selections,” said Western’s Administrator Tim Meeks.  “We remain committed to taking steps that will create new jobs and get lines in the air to help deliver renewable energy to market.” 

Western team wins Science Bowl

Straight from the Sacramento Regional Science Bowl High school Mira Loma High School from Sacramento beat Lexington High School from Lexington, Massachusetts in the high school national championship match at the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C.

DOE's full news release details the winning prize and the other top placing teams. Photos of the winning teams, biographical information about the teams and more information about the DOE National Science Bowl are available on the National Science Bowl Web site.

Western's FY 2008 Annual Report available2008 Annual Report cover page

Hour by hour, Western employees keep a watchful eye on the ever-changing energy demands and do their part to support the energy industry. As the seconds, minutes and hours tick by, their individual perspectives make up the powerful way Western delivers Federal hydroelectric power to our customers, who in turn keep the lights on in millions of homes throughout the West.

Read the report to catch up on our financials and to see how Western employees worked together to deliver our peak load—6,476 megawatts—on July 31, 2008, to meet consumers' power needs.

Western funding in place for TIP projects

Just less than two months after the President signed the Recovery Act, Western and the Secretary of Treasury have a borrowing arrangement in place to fund projects that will be selected under the upcoming Transmission Infrastructure Program. Read the news release.

A new, 2-megawatt, ground mounted solar photovoltaic array occupies the site of a former landfill at

Federal agencies offered easy tool to go "greener"

Federal agencies interested in managing their energy costs, improving the environment and increasing national energy security are invited to join the 2009 renewable energy certificate solicitation being issued by Western Area Power Administration and the Federal Energy Management Program. Statements of Intent are due by May 22.  Learn more about this service on our Renewable Resources for Federal Agencies Web site.

Public meeting on Transmission Infrastructure Program

Check out the TIP line blog for responses to some of the questions and comments from the Mar. 23 public meeting.

Western proposes transmission program, seeks projects

On March 4, Western announced in the Federal Register the availability of a Request for Interest seeking interest in potential projects that can be funded using the Recovery Act authority to borrow up to $3.25 billion from the U.S. Treasury. These projects will provide Federal funding in partnerships to develop transmission infrastructure that delivers renewable energy to market across the West. To be assured consideration, all Statements of Interest should be submitted in a non-confidential manner and received by Western on April 3, 2009.

Western also published a Federal Register notice initiating a public process to develop policies and practices to guide the new Transmission Infrastructure Program as it implements the new authority.

See our Recovery page for more information on how Western is implementing the Recovery Act.

Western called upon for needed transmission

Section 402 of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, signed by the President on Feb. 17, will promote construction of additional transmission to move renewable energy across the grid in the West.

The Act grants Western Area Power Administration the authority to borrow up to $3.25 billion from the U.S. Treasury. Western now has a mechanism to provide Federal funding in partnerships to develop transmission infrastructure that delivers renewable energy to market. Visit our Newsroom for more information on the new authority.