Pacific Northwest Utilities Using Renewable Energy
Published Mar 06, 2007
The Klondike wind farm near Wasco, Ore., produces 99 megawatts of energy – enough to power 24,600 homes.
On a pristine patch of rolling farmland 100 miles east of Portland near Wasco, Ore., a growing crop of giant wind turbines is sprouting up, helping to power Portland with environmentally friendly renewable energy.
The 2,000-acre Klondike wind farm is owned and operated by Portland-based PPM Energy, a leading supplier of wind energy. In 2005, Portland General Electric, the area’s largest utility company and No. 1 in the nation for renewable power sales, signed a 30-year contract to purchase 75 megawatts of capacity from an expanded section known as Klondike II. Current overall capacity at Klondike is 99 megawatts.
According to Jan Johnson, a spokeswoman for PPM Energy, consumer and utility response has been so positive that the company is building a third phase at the Wasco facility, which is expected to provide an additional 221 megawatts of electricity – enough to power 56,000 homes.
“You can’t overlook the fact that wind energy has become so cost competitive,” Johnson says. “If you have a choice and an alternative source of energy such as wind power is both environmentally benign and economically competitive, wouldn’t you choose it? We’re seeing the number of consumers requesting cleaner energy sources from their utility companies, particularly in this area of the country, skyrocket.”
PPM Energy, which operates wind farms across the United States, has seen its profits climb an average of 50 percent annually over the past several years. It also has teamed with Pacific Power, a subsidiary of PacifiCorp that operates in the Portland area, to develop a wind farm called Leaning Jupiter about three miles southwest of Arlington, Ore. The facility is expected to generate 100.5 megawatts of energy.
ADVOCATE FOR CHANGE
Of course, renewable energy here is not limited to wind power. Thanks to a series of dams on rivers including the mighty Columbia, hydropower has been a major source of energy in the Pacific Northwest for more than half a century.
In addition to doing its part by tapping into sources of renewable energy, Portland General Electric is supporting new federal policies to reduce the nation’s emissions of greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change.
“Doing nothing is not an option. The longer we do nothing, the more it will cost our region and the nation, both environmentally and economically,” President and Chief Executive Officer Peggy Fowler told industry leaders recently at a Northwest Energy Summit.
Portland General Electric also is reaching out to customers, other utilities and political leaders in the Northwest to advocate for legislation based on National Commission on Energy Policy recommendations.
These efforts have not gone unnoticed. J.D. Power and Associates’ customer satisfaction survey ranked Portland General Electric the highest in the West and among the highest in the nation for power quality and reliability.
MORE CONSUMER SUPPORT
Another local utility company getting high marks for customer satisfaction, energy efficiency and focus on the environment is NW Natural, the oldest gas utility in the Pacific Northwest.
According to Gregg Kantor, executive vice president for the 148-year-old company, NW Natural is committed to enhancing the quality of life in its service area through environmental protection.
“What we have here are consumers who are very environmentally conscious,” Kantor says. “They want to know that their energy companies are also concerned about the environment, and they expect us to help them reduce their environmental impact.” He adds that NW Natural works closely with customers to be sure they are using gas resources wisely.
Story by Valerie Pascoe
Photo by PPM Energy
Current Weather Conditions In Portland, OR (97201)
Clear, and 56 ° F. For more details?
Click here...
