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Remote Renewable and Low-Carbon Resource Options for BPA

E3 completed a study for the Bonneville Power Administration in May 2008 that looked at the cost-effectiveness of constructing new, long-distance transmission facilities for the purpose of delivering remote renewable resources to load centers in the Pacific Northwest. E3's high-level screening study compared the cost of developing high-quality, renewable resources in remote areas including British Columbia, Alberta, Montana, Wyoming and Nevada with the cost of developing renewables near existing transmission lines in Washington and Oregon. The study found that it would be cost-effective in most cases to construct new transmission to access higher-quality renewable resources in British Columbia and Montana. New transmission lines to Wyoming and Nevada are cost-effective in some of the cases studied. E3's study is very high-level, and E3 recommends additional study to develop more detailed information about the costs and benefits of new transmission facilities as well as the quality of the renewable resources available in the target areas.

Remote Renewable and Low-Carbon Resource Options for BPA (pdf) (May 2008)

Arne@ethree.com