Utility Resource Planning
Electric utilities in Washington vary in size and scope of operations. This is reflected in the way utilities approach resource planning and forecasting. Larger utilities typically use multiple sources of electricity supply to meet their customers’ requirements and engage in sophisticated assessments of risks and benefits in evaluating alternative sources of new energy. Many smaller utilities rely on a single supplier to supply all of the power required by their customers. For smaller utilities, the upstream provider – often the Bonneville Power Administration but sometimes another electric utility – undertakes the complex planning and forecasting that leads to a resource plan.
The current round of utility resource plans indicates a continued reliance on energy conservation as the primary resource for balancing electricity supply and demand. The statewide aggregate growth in electricity demand is expected to be moderate and most of this growth will be offset through energy conservation programs operated by utilities. Several utilities project that their conservation programs will result in more electricity savings than their projected amount of load growth. These utilities expect to experience negative growth in observed electric loads. With the majority of load growth met by conservation programs, utilities are projecting minimal need to acquire additional generating supply resources. The additional resources will primarily be used to replace retiring coal-fired generation.
Utility Resource Planning Huduma za umeme katika Washington hutofautiana katika ukubwa na wigo wa shughuli. Hii inaonyeshwa katika njia huduma za umma mbinu rasilimali mipango na utabiri. Kampuni kubwa za umeme kwa kawaida hutumia vyanzo vingi vya umeme ili kukidhi mahitaji ya wateja wao na kushiriki katika tathmini za hali ya juu za hatari na faida katika kutathmini vyanzo mbadala vya nishati mpya. Mashirika mengi madogo ya umeme hutegemea muuzaji mmoja tu ili kutoa umeme wote unaohitajika na wateja wao. Kwa ajili ya huduma ndogo, upstream mtoa - mara nyingi Bonneville Power Utawala lakini wakati mwingine huduma nyingine ya umeme - inachukua mipango tata na utabiri kwamba inaongoza kwa mpango wa rasilimali. Mzunguko wa sasa wa mipango ya rasilimali za huduma za umma unaonyesha kutegemea kuendelea kwa uhifadhi wa nishati kama rasilimali ya msingi ya kusawazisha usambazaji wa umeme na mahitaji. Ongezeko la jumla la mahitaji ya umeme katika jimbo linatarajiwa kuwa la wastani na sehemu kubwa ya ukuaji huu italingana na mipango ya kuhifadhi nishati inayotumiwa na huduma. Kampuni kadhaa za umeme zinatabiri kwamba mipango yao ya kuhifadhi itasababisha akiba ya umeme zaidi kuliko kiasi chao cha ongezeko la mzigo. Huduma hizi zinatarajia uzoefu wa ukuaji hasi katika mzigo wa umeme uliotambuliwa. Kwa kuongezeka kwa mzigo kukutana na mipango ya uhifadhi, huduma zinaonyesha haja ndogo ya kupata rasilimali za ziada za usambazaji wa kuzalisha. Rasilimali za ziada hasa zitatumiwa kuchukua nafasi ya uzalishaji wa makaa ya mawe unaostaafu.