Portland General Electric to add 311 MW of wind energy from Clearwater project by 2024

Resulting from a new agreement with NextEra Energy Resources, LLC, this week Portland General Electric Company (PGE) announced it will procure 311 MW of energy from the Clearwater Wind project in Montana to benefit its Oregon customers by 2024.

With construction slated to begin this year through a subsidiary of NextEra, the wind farm is being brought online in phases, and according to PGE’s current timeline, its own portion of Clearwater should be operational by Dec. 31, 2023. The project crosses the borders of three counties in Montana, spanning approximately 65 miles in total.

“PGE’s stake in Clearwater will not only help in our state’s clean energy transition but also create jobs and tax base in Montana, continuing our commitment to a state we have had an ongoing investment in for over four decades,” Brett Sims, vice president of strategy, regulation & energy supply at PGE, said. “By tapping into the most consistent renewable resources across the West, this project, along with other actions resulting from our 2021 RFP, will help ensure we can deliver clean and affordable energy to our customers.”

Power will be routed to PGE through the existing transmission of the NorthWestern Energy and BPA systems. PGE will own a total of 208 MW of the project, while an additional 208 MW will be bought through a power purchase agreement. In total, this should provide enough power to provide for approximately 125,000 homes.