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Bonneville Power Administration Predicts Being $6 Million in the Hole by Staff KNDO / KNDU, February 8, 2010

KENNEWICK, Wash -- The Bonneville Power Administration has drastically reduced their predicted revenue for the fiscal year.

Last October the B.P.A estimated they'd come out about $230 million on top, but now that number has dropped to a loss of 6 million.

The reason for this large drop is mainly due to El Niño weather patterns that have kept temperatures much warmer than usual, while at the same time providing less precipitation.

Low precipitation and less than average amounts of snowpack means less hydroelectric power flowing from the dams, and less revenue for B.P.A.

"So you can look at it this way, look at rain like cash. Look at snowpack like your savings account," says Katie Pruder-Scruggs of the B.P.A. "We bank on that snow melting and providing water for the river through the summer and without it we won't have that extra money that helps keep our rates so low,"

The amount of snowpack for this time is low, Pruder-Scruggs said it was low last year too, but with lots of snow in March they finished near average. If the average stays low there is a chance of power rate hikes in 2012.