Three years ago, the US Pacific Northwest was sufferingfrom a major powershortage. But these days, the region – comprising Oregon, Washington, Idahoand southern British Columbia – is trying to work off a surplus of electricity,due to the legacy of its power buyback scheme and the shutdown of most of thealuminium smelters that fuelled the region’s economy.

The death of the region’s aluminium business has widely been attributedto the actions of a federal power marketing agency based in Portland