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RAND's Study on Regional Energy Supplies Wasn't Political by Staff Letter to Editor, Portland Business Journal, November 8, 2002

This is a response to your story published Oct. 28, "Power Planning Council disputes Snake River report".

As a nonprofit, nonpartisan institution, RAND seeks to improve policy and decision-making through research and analysis. We do not engage in advocacy of policy positions. This RAND report is no exception. For this and all of our work at RAND, we conducted our analysis with full independence.

In preparing our study, RAND consulted widely with experts in the region and relied on the same economic data used by the Northwest Power Planning Council. Any suggestion of lack of knowledge about progress made on energy conservation and adoption of renewable energy technologies is unfounded.

Our analysis showed that continuing to diversify the region's energy supply by shifting only 20 percent of future natural-gas-fired power generation to alternatives would have no significant impact on the regional economy.

This is consistent with information and analysis produced by both the Northwest Power Planning Council and the Bonneville Power Administration. We took no position—indeed, we have none—on what actions should be taken in the region to move toward a more diversified mix of electricity sources. Those who suggest otherwise are in error.