Marketing plan contents

Power marketing plans specify when and how Western will sell power. Although marketing plans vary considerably from project to project, they commonly address:

• contract terms and conditions.
• geographic area where electricity will be sold.
• classes or types of electric service offered.
• amount offered for sale.
• who is eligible to receive electricity.
• principles governing how power is distributed to eligible applicants.
• deadline for successful applicants to sign their contracts.

Marketing plans may also contain other criteria reflecting our mission, legal requirements, current marketing practices and new policies. In some projects, we have also adopted ways to reserve power for new customers. We have set aside a percentage of power for resource pools for new customers as existing contracts approach their expiration dates. This power is withdrawn from current customers and is offered to new customers at specific intervals during the contract period. In some cases, we have also included withdrawals at five- and 10-year intervals to make power available for allocations to new customers.

Finally, power marketing plans may mention various classes of electrical service that Western may offer. Such other services include long-term firm capacity with or without energy, seasonal sales of firm capacity with or without energy, maintenance energy and emergency assistance provided to other utilities and nonfirm or interruptible energy sales.

An essential component of a power marketing plan is the amount of capacity and/or energy to be sold. Usually a power marketing plan specifies amounts only for long-term firm capacity and energy resources. Short-term resources available during good water years are usually defined by types and conditions of availability, but not amounts.