Pacific Power selects four new wind projects

Pacific Power announced Tuesday the selection of four new wind projects as part of its Energy Vision 2020 initiative.

The four projects have a combined capacity of approximately 1,300 megawatts (MW) and will increase the company’s owned and contracted wind power by more than 60 percent at a cost of approximately $1.5 billion.

“We are committed to expanding the amount of renewable energy serving our customers, and these new wind projects will help us cost-effectively further that goal,” said Stefan Bird, president and CEO of Pacific Power, the unit of PacifiCorp that serves customers in Oregon, Washington, and California.

The selected projects include a 400 MW wind project in Converse County, Wyoming, built by NextEra Energy Resources, LLC, with half of the project owned and operated by PacifiCorp, and half of the project owned and delivered by NextEra under a Power Purchase Agreement; a 161 MW wind project in Uinta County, Wyoming, which will be built by Invenergy, LLC, and owned and operated by PacifiCorp; a 500 MW wind project in Carbon and Albany Counties, Wyoming, which will be built, owned and operated by PacifiCorp; and a 250 MW wind project in Carbon County, Wyoming, which will be built, owned and operated by PacifiCorp.

Pacific Power selected the projects following a request for proposal issued in September 2017. Pending approval from state regulatory commissions, acquisition of rights of way and receipt of permits, the company expects construction of the new wind and transmission projects to begin in 2019.