Draft Sixth Power Plan Comment

November 5, 2009 I would like to comment briefly on the draft 6th Northwest Power and Conservation Plan. I attended the hearing for the Northwest Power and Conservation Council meeting in Missoula October 13 but did not submit comments at that time. I too applaud the Council for showing we need no new fossil-fueled power plants and for proposing to meet the next 20 years of growing Northwest electric demand with 5,800 average megawatts of new energy efficiency and 1,800 aMW of new renewable energy. The emphasis on energy efficiency is key to a clean and affordable energy future for the Northwest. Please do not decrease these targets. They promise to save consumers money and promise clean energy jobs that cannot be outsourced. I also agree with others who have suggested that although the Council cannot control the future costs of carbon emissions, this plan should contain a reasonable CO2 price forecast for utilities to use for planning and in their ongoing operations. This will offer guidance to utilities to move away from coal. We will be living in a carbon-constrained economy soon, and carbon will be priced. Council staff analysis confirm important new studies such as Bright Future and The Power of Efficiency showing that we can affordably shut down the coal plants now serving our region, start electrifying transportation, and develop our abundant clean energy resources. The costs of inaction regarding climate change are becoming astronomical, and we need to fulfill our responsibilities to forcefully and quickly move toward efficiency and renewable. In short, I thank the Northwest Power and Conservation for this draft plan and ask that the final plan keep strong energy efficiency and renewable energy targets. Thank you for considering public comment. Amy Cilimburg Montana Audubon 1601 Tamarack St Missoula, MT 59802