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Gov. Little’s appointee outlines Northwest Power and Conservation Council role, committee defers vote
Summary
Jeff Allen, nominated for another term on the Northwest Power and Conservation Council, told a Senate committee the council plans regional power and fish-and-wildlife mitigation. The committee deferred a confirmation vote to its next meeting and will send a recommendation to the full Senate afterward.
Jeff Allen, nominated by Gov. Brad Little to a new term on the Northwest Power and Conservation Council, told an Idaho Senate committee on Feb. 25 that the council was created by Congress in 1980 to plan the region’s power needs and to mitigate the effects of hydropower on fish and wildlife.
“My name is Jeff Allen and I currently serve on the Northwest Power and Conservation Council and Governor Little has appointed me to another term,” Allen said. He described the council’s twin charges: “to ensure that the region has an adequate, reliable and economic power supply and that we mitigate for the impacts of that power generation.”
Allen told committee members the council produces regional power plans and fish-and-wildlife programs that guide Bonneville Power Administration spending on mitigation and future energy planning. Asked what success would look like in 15 years, Allen said the council’s work would be invisible if it had done its job: “if we have correctly predicted how much energy the region’s gonna need … the lights still go on when you turn the switch on and you don't think about the Northwest Power and Conservation Council.”
Committee members asked Allen about fish runs and dams. On questions about Lower Snake River dams and salmon, Allen said the council’s mitigation efforts and changes in dam operations have improved outcomes but “we're still figuring it out” and that ocean conditions and other factors also affect returns.
Chairman Burtonshaw told Allen the committee would vote on the nomination at its next meeting and then forward the appointment to the full Senate for confirmation.
Why it matters: The Northwest Power and Conservation Council sets regional planning that affects power rates, Bonneville mitigation dollars and fish-and-wildlife work across multiple states. A confirmed Idaho member shapes how the council balances energy reliability and river restoration.
The committee did not take a confirmation vote on Allen’s nomination at this hearing; the nomination is scheduled for the next committee meeting.
