PacifiCorp more than doubled wind energy production under newest project

With completion of its $3.1 billion Energy Vision 2020 initiative, PacifiCorp announced this week that it has more than doubled its wind energy production in the United States, upgraded its wind turbine fleet, and more.

The efforts have led to to reduced customer costs and emissions at large.

First announced in 2017, this initiative consisted of four new Wyoming wind projects that brought a combined 1,150 MW of new generating capacity online. Nearly all of PacifiCorp’s existing wind fleet in Wyoming, Washington and Oregon were re-powered along the way, with new nacelles and blades installed to increase output and extend the lifespan of another 1,000 MW. Some 140 miles of high voltage transmission were also built through Wyoming to support these efforts and modernize the grid.

“These projects now provide low-cost renewable energy throughout our service area,” said Stefan Bird, president and CEO of Pacific Power, PacifiCorp’s retail service division in Oregon, Washington and California. “This is a major step forward in realizing our vision of a future where PacifiCorp delivers energy to our customers affordably, reliably and without greenhouse gas emissions. A future where our vast, modern energy grid connects local communities to the low-cost and reliable energy they need to innovate and achieve their goals.”

Additionally, three other PacifiCorp wind projects were completed since 2017, although they were outside the bounds of the Energy Vision program. They consisted of another 400 MW of wind power split between three projects in Montana and Wyoming.

While these changes have benefited PacifiCorp’s Rocky Mountain Power and Pacific Power divisions as is, the company intends to maintain the momentum into 2024. Following its most recent integrated resource plan, PacifiCorp collected more than 7 GW of bids from prospective contracts, which was eventually narrowed down to another 3,250 MW of potential solar, wind and storage resources.

The company intends to see any selected projects finished by 2024, which will include interconnection to more than 440 miles of new transmission.