western issues update 8 3 01 aluminum smelters dsi alcoa aluminum new developments alcoa bc hydro talks provide aluminum producer source cheap stable energy alcoa still shopping around find good seller since load reduction agreement bpa still effect noted bc premier gordon campbell long standing poor relations alcan inc canada competitor alcoa opposition campbell helped scuttle completion deal would allowed alcan finish 1 3 b hydroelectric power project earlier year bc hydro considered plan refund alcan money energy buy back deal similar load reduction agreements south border campbell move secure aluminum partner problem likely end look alcoa bc hydro talks productive premier anything say alcoa still talks bpa potential continued load reduction agreements recent shareholder meeting last week alcoa management peppered questions wall street fund managers regarding bpa talks feeling sector aluminum prices begun bottom impetus start rebuilding production pacific northwest establishing revenue growth kaiser aluminum hiring harvey perry company new aluminum chief kaiser long term aluminum strategy still remains somewhat unclear dsi signed load curtailment agreement bpa still discussions anything new arises keep updated bc hydro bc government campbell government moving swiftly heels house bill approve anwr drilling fast track lifting moratorium offshore oil natural gas exploration communities northern british columbia fort st john dawson creek black gold fort mcmurray significant recent population booms poised hit critical mass oil company money rolls region currently debate structure site pipeline run anwr british columbia significant oil company exploration royalties flow local tax base coffers make offshore drilling extremely competitive business bc alaska bc hydro hydro officials process officially courting new partners becoming aggressive attempts find energy buyers due ability generate cheap hydroelectric power bc hydro looking competitive player market avoiding traditional subsidy jobs power program pursuing lucrative cross border contracts us firms time hydro moving slice community programs anywhere 6 8 million outsourcing information technology departments savings 20 25 million range bc hydro whose annual revenues hover typically around 300 million looking early mini budget estimates 2001 375 million range trading subsidiary powerex come back refund counteroffer california looks like ca take issue court bc hydro process selecting new chair board looking likely larry bell campbell transition team yet pin name second candidate although believe vice president west coast energy selection likely occur another two weeks anticipate major policy shifts late october november meantime campbell gary collins finance minister calling shots hydro future keep mind minister energy mines neufeld official title power greatly curbed premier administration playing safe feel knowledgeable players board receptive agenda bonneville power administration financial solvency chance speak source close sen patty murray wa office become apparent energy water appropriations bill provide bpa additional 2 billion borrowing authority 3 75 billion existing authority already may scuttled sen murray fighting provision bill would forced bpa come back senate every year review white house senate appropriations committee omb budget committee opposed entire bill feeling 2 billion additional authority would issued money would coming back social security medicare eight northwest senators convening issue course next month half next time issue come middle september another energy bill conference obviously bush energy bill passed house looking bring considerable pressure democratic senators pass legislation would surprised deal extend bpa borrowing authority linked support anwr drilling spill issues 5 million spill two columbia river dams short weeks bpa administrator steve wright said would summer spills likely political bone environmental groups fish managers notably critfc bob heinith odfw christine mallette stumped hard spill better none lacked survival data show would benefit fish extremely low flow year power operators corps engineers questioned models used determine value spill citing impact adverse tailwater conditions low flows compounded spilling water making extra hard juvenile fish leave area dams hence suffer higher mortality predators like northern pike minnow dam breaching congressman jim mcdermott wa recently announced introducing bill would pave way breaching four lower snake dams would also call another study economic effects breaching authorize corps engineers partially remove dams secretary commerce finds necessary satisfy esa clean water act tribal treaty obligations bush administration far failed allocate funds implement 2000 salmon recovery plan avoid dam removal mcdermott said july 19 press release bill nudges take plan seriously successful preventing breaching dams one would happier would said time plan contingencies co sponsored tom petri r wi 19 representatives others northwest bill difficulty getting committee opposition massed quickly led butch otter r id doc hastings r wa two issued dear colleague letters asking fellow members support mcdermott bill pacific northwest utilities energy interests battled long hard salmon environmentalists issue dam breaching environmentalists took lumps earlier year energy prices shot left nowhere run politically energy prices come continue beat drum salmon preservation although much weakened forestry issues forest fires one largest forest fires pacific northwest thirty mile fire claimed lives four firefighters control week major fire region currently 4 800 acre union valley fire southeast washington state fire three half miles north chelan wa evacuations residences continue upper union valley washington creek drainage fire continues spread north washington creek drainage burnout operations northeast flank fire successfully completed seen reports fire disrupting electrical lines significantly hampering transmission