PacifiCorp has released a long-term energy plan that looks to new investments in renewable energy resources, upgrades to the company’s existing wind fleet, and energy efficiency measures to meet future customer energy needs. The US$ 3.5 billion expansion plan is set to be in place by 2020.
The 2017 IRP includes the investments set to happen by the end of 2020, but also looks 20 years down the road:
- Upgrading more than 900MW of existing wind plants with larger blades and newer technology to generate more energy in a wider range of wind conditions by 2020;
- Beginning construction on a segment of the Gateway West 500-kilovolt transmission line between Medicine Bow, Wyoming, and the Jim Bridger power plant in the south-western part of the state. The 140-mile line, set to be in service by the end of 2020, would enable additional wind generation and improve the operational efficiency of the broader system by relieving transmission congestion in Wyoming;
- Building 1,100MW of new wind projects, primarily in Wyoming, by the end of 2020;
- Adding another 859MW of new wind capacity---85MW in Wyoming and 774MW in Idaho---between 2028 and 2036;
- Building 1,040MW of new solar capacity between 2028 and 2036;
- Continuing a cost-conscious transition that adds more energy diversity, the plan incorporates the company’s environmental compliance obligations for its coal-fired plants.
