Resource Planning

The 2019 Pacific Northwest Loads and Resources Study (2019 White Book) is BPA's latest projection of the Pacific Northwest regional retail loads, contract obligations, contract purchases, and resource capabilities. The 2019 White Book is a snapshot of conditions as of December 1, 2019, documenting the loads and resources for both the federal system and the region for the 10-year study period, 2021 through 2030. The White Book also contains information obtained from other formalized resource planning reports and data submittals, including those from individual utilities, the Northwest Power and Conservation Council (Council), and the Pacific Northwest Utilities Conference Committee (PNUCC).

The 2019 White Book contains the traditional deterministic analysis of the federal system and the Pacific Northwest regions’ loads and resources. BPA’s Federal System Analysis presents the federal system’s load and resource balance, by comparing expected loads and contract obligations to available resources and contract purchases. In the same manner, BPA’s PNW regional analysis calculates the region’s load and resource balance, by comparing the regions expected total retail loads and contract obligations to the available resources and contract purchases.

The 2019 White Book consists of a Summary Document and a two-volume Technical Appendix. The Summary Document and Technical Appendices are available electronically.

Electronic (PDF) versions of the 2019 White Book Summary Document and Volumes 1 & 2 of the Technical Appendix are available in the links below. If you have problems viewing a document within your web browser, click on the link to the document with your right mouse button and select "Save Target As" to download a copy to a local drive.

• Summary Document (DOE/BP-4968)
• Technical Appendix - Volume 1, Energy Analysis (DOE/BP-4969)
• Technical Appendix - Volume 2, Capacity Analysis (DOE/BP-4970)

The 2018 White Book contains the traditionally deterministic analysis of the Federal system and the PNW regions loads and resources. BPA’s Federal System Analysis presents the Federal systems load and resource balance, by comparing expected loads and contract obligations to resources and contract purchases. In the same manner, BPA’s PNW regional analysis calculates the regions load and resource balance, by comparing the regions expected total retail loads and contract obligations to the available resources and contract purchases.

The 2018 White Book consists of a Summary Document and a 2-volume Technical Appendix. The Summary Document is available in both printed hard copy and electronically. The Technical Appendices are only available electronically.

To request a printed copy of the 2018 White Book Summary Document, please contact BPA’s Visitor Center at 800-622-4520, and ask for the 2018 Pacific Northwest Loads and Resources Study (DOE/BP-4907). Electronic (PDF) versions of the 2018 White Book Summary Document and Volumes 1 & 2 of the Technical Appendix are available in electronically form below. If you have any problems viewing a document within your web browser, click on the link to the document with your right mouse button and select "Save Target As" to download a copy to a local drive.

• Summary Document (DOE/BP-4907)
• Technical Appendix - Volume 1, Energy Analysis (DOE/BP-4908)
• Technical Appendix - Volume 2, Capacity Analysis (DOE/BP-4909)

To request a printed copy of the 2017 White Book Summary Document, please contact BPA’s Public Information Center at 800-622-4520, and ask for the 2017 Pacific Northwest Loads and Resources Study (DOE/BP-4826). Electronic (PDF) versions of the 2017 White Book Summary Document and Volumes 1 & 2 of the Technical Appendix are available in electronically form below. If you have any problems viewing a document within your web browser, click on the link to the document with your right mouse button and select "Save Target As" to download a copy to a local drive.

• Summary Document (DOE/BP-48261)
• Technical Appendix - Volume 1, Energy Analysis (DOE/BP-4827)
• Technical Appendix - Volume 2, Capacity Analysis (DOE/BP-4828)

The 2016 White Book contains the traditionally deterministic analysis of the Federal system and the PNW regions loads and resources. BPA’s Federal System Analysis presents the Federal systems load and resource balance, by comparing expected loads and contract obligations to resources and contract purchases. In the same manner, BPA’s PNW regional analysis calculates the regions load and resource balance, by comparing the regions expected total retail loads and contract obligations to the available resources and contract purchases.

BPA, like the rest of the electric power industry, continues to explore ways to more comprehensively assess the ability of the power system to meet long-term load obligations. As a result, the 2015 White Book included additional studies that use different analytical methods and metrics to analyze different scenarios to meet load obligations. This analysis was not updated and therefore not included in the 2016 White Book.

The 2016 White Book consists of a Summary Document and a 2-volume Technical Appendix. The Summary Document is available in both printed copy and electronically. The Technical Appendices are only available electronically.

To request a printed copy of the 2016 White Book Summary Document, please contact BPA’s Public Information Center at 800-622-4520, and ask for the 2016 Pacific Northwest Loads and Resources Study (DOE/BP-4781). Electronic (PDF) versions of the 2016 White Book Summary Document and Volumes 1 & 2 of the Technical Appendix are available in electronically form below. If you have any problems viewing a document within your web browser, click on the link to the document with your right mouse button and select "Save Target As" to download a copy to a local drive.

• Summary Document (DOE/BP-4781)
• Technical Appendix - Volume 1, Energy Analysis (DOE/BP-4782)
• Technical Appendix - Volume 2, Capacity Analysis (DOE/BP-4783)

The 2015 White Book contains the traditionally deterministic analysis of the Federal system and the PNW regions loads and resources. BPA's Federal System Analysis presents the Federal systems load and resource balance, by comparing expected loads and contract obligations to resources and contract purchases. In the same manner, BPA's PNW regional analysis calculates the regions load and resource balance, by comparing the regions expected total retail loads and contract obligations to the available resources and contract purchases.

BPA, like the rest of the electric power industry, continues to explore ways to more comprehensively plan and assess the power system using different metrics and analysis. As a result, the 2015 White Book also incorporates two additional studies to portray the ability of the Federal system to meet long-term load obligations. 1) The Federal System Needs Assessment, which models a variety of load, contract, and weather events, the results of which serve as the foundational input to BPA's Resource Program; and 2) the Federal System Resource Adequacy, which provides an assessment of the probability of the Federal system to not meet firm load obligations under many different combinations of load demand and resource supply. This analysis is used by BPA as it continues to explore and advance its understanding of resource adequacy as it relates to the federal system.

The 2015 White Book consists of a Summary Document and a 2-volume Technical Appendix. The Summary Document is available in both printed copy and electronically. The Technical Appendices are only available electronically.

To request a printed copy of the 2015 White Book Summary Document, please contact BPA's Visitor Center at 800-622-4520 (503-230-4636), and ask for the 2015 Pacific Northwest Loads and Resources Study (DOE/BP-4739). Electronic (PDF) versions of the 2015 White Book Summary Document and Volumes 1 & 2 of the Technical Appendix are available in electronically form below. If you have any problems viewing a document within your web browser, click on the link to the document with your right mouse button and select "Save Target As" to download a copy to a local drive.

• Summary Document (DOE/BP-4739)
• Technical Appendix - Volume 1, Energy Analysis (DOE/BP-4740)
• Technical Appendix - Volume 2, Capacity Analysis (DOE/BP-4741)