United States Government Publishing Office publisher pbl distributor dst United States Government Accountability Office Resources, Community, and Economic Development Division author aut Government Organization text government publication eng GAOREPORTS Legislative Agency Publications gao legislative 2010-08-12 U.S. Government Printing Office 1996-08-30 monographic deposited born digital 23 p. GA 1.13:RCED-96-226 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-RCED-96-226 P0b002ee18038504c f:rc96226 DGPO 2010-08-12 2011-03-28 GAOREPORTS-RCED-96-226 machine generated eng fdlp REPORT GAOREPORTS-RCED-96-226 RCED-96-226 Electric utilities Regional planning Electric power generation Internal controls Energy law Energy conservation Endangered species Environmental policies Anadromous fishes Wildlife conservation Pacific Northwest Electric Power and Conservation Planning Council's Fish and Wildlife Pro Columbia River Basin (WA) Idaho Montana Oregon Washington Letter Report RCED Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the Pacific Northwest Electric Power and Conservation Planning Council's business practices, focusing on whether the: (1) Council's program activities are consistent with congressional direction; and (2) Council is exercising adequate oversight of its business operations.<p/>GAO found that: (1) the Council's energy planning and wildlife efforts are consistent with the goals of the Pacific Northwest Electric Power Planning and Conservation Act; (2) the Council has prepared four long-range regional conservation and electric power plans to meet its conservation and electricity needs; (3) the Council has distributed various other publications on electricity, fish and wildlife, and related topics for public comment; (4) it is difficult to make long-range plans for the Northwest region's electricity market due to significantly lower electricity costs, and increasing deregulation and competition within the market; (5) the governors of four Northwest states have convened a comprehensive review of the Northwest energy system to determine how changing conditions within the electricity industry are affecting the Council's role in fish and wildlife conservation; (6) the Council has proposed improving the evaluation of its fish and wildlife mitigation efforts by requiring unproven mitigation measures to have a monitoring and evaluation component, making more frequent and formal reviews of its conservation and electric power plan, and tying funding for program measures to participation in monitoring and evaluation efforts; (7) oversight of the Council's business operations have shifted to the Council chairman and executive director and as a result Council members receive limited information concerning the Council's operating policies and procedures; and (8) the Council could improve its credibility by making its policies and decisions a matter of public record. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-RCED-96-226/html/GAOREPORTS-RCED-96-226.htm https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-RCED-96-226/pdf/GAOREPORTS-RCED-96-226.pdf GAO/RCED-96-226 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-RCED-96-226 Letter Report GAO/RCED-96-226; Northwest Power Planning Council: Greater Public Oversight of Business Operations Would Enhance Accountability; Electric utilities Regional planning Electric power generation Internal controls Energy law Energy conservation Endangered species Environmental policies Anadromous fishes Wildlife conservation Pacific Northwest Electric Power and Conservation Planning Council's Fish and Wildlife Pro Columbia River Basin (WA) Idaho Montana Oregon Washington