As a four-state body, the Council is neither a federal nor a state agency, and it has some flexibility in developing its own operating policies and procedures. Council’s Program Activities Are Consistent With Congressional Direction, but New Conditions May Reshape Its Role

The Council’s energy planning, conservation, and fish and wildlife efforts have been consistent with the goals and direction laid out in the act and other congressional direction. Past Efforts Are Closely in Line With Act’s Requirements

The act directed the Council to prepare a regional conservation and electric power plan within 2 years of its establishment and at least every 5 years thereafter. The Council also produces and distributes various other publications that provide information on electricity, fish and wildlife, and related topics. New Forces May Affect Council’s Future Activities and Role

The Northwest region’s changing electricity market now makes it difficult to develop the long-term plans that have typified the Council’s efforts to date. In 1980, the power planning concerns facing the Northwest were potential electricity shortages, the rising cost of electricity, and competition for the low-cost electricity provided by BPA. Likewise, changing conditions are affecting the Council’s role in fish and wildlife planning. The Council has proposed steps to improve the evaluation of the program, including (1) requiring that all but proven mitigation measures have a monitoring and evaluation component, (2) making more frequent and formal reviews of the implementation of its plan, and (3) tying funding for program measures to participation in monitoring and evaluation efforts. Although the Council’s by-laws required major personnel actions and other policy changes to be approved by the Council or the Council chairman, the members had traditionally focused on power and fish and wildlife program issues and left the oversight of most central office business activities to the chairman. Greater public oversight of the Council’s business operations could help protect this credibility.
Why GAO Did This Study

Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the Pacific Northwest Electric Power and Conservation Planning Council's business practices, focusing on whether the: (1) Council's program activities are consistent with congressional direction; and (2) Council is exercising adequate oversight of its business operations.

What GAO Found

GAO found that: (1) the Council's energy planning and wildlife efforts are consistent with the goals of the Pacific Northwest Electric Power Planning and Conservation Act; (2) the Council has prepared four long-range regional conservation and electric power plans to meet its conservation and electricity needs; (3) the Council has distributed various other publications on electricity, fish and wildlife, and related topics for public comment; (4) it is difficult to make long-range plans for the Northwest region's electricity market due to significantly lower electricity costs, and increasing deregulation and competition within the market; (5) the governors of four Northwest states have convened a comprehensive review of the Northwest energy system to determine how changing conditions within the electricity industry are affecting the Council's role in fish and wildlife conservation; (6) the Council has proposed improving the evaluation of its fish and wildlife mitigation efforts by requiring unproven mitigation measures to have a monitoring and evaluation component, making more frequent and formal reviews of its conservation and electric power plan, and tying funding for program measures to participation in monitoring and evaluation efforts; (7) oversight of the Council's business operations have shifted to the Council chairman and executive director and as a result Council members receive limited information concerning the Council's operating policies and procedures; and (8) the Council could improve its credibility by making its policies and decisions a matter of public record.