Regulatory filings in Wyoming, Utah and Idaho, which will be made by June 30, seek to advance the company's Energy Vision 2020 initiative. The plan will upgrade or "repower" the company's existing wind fleet with longer blades and newer technology, add approximately 1,100 megawatts of new wind, and build a new 140-mile Gateway West transmission segment. The re-powering investments will be made in Wyoming, Oregon and Washington. Most of the investments in new wind and transmission will be in Wyoming.
"We're pleased to move forward with this important initiative that will allow us to cost effectively add more renewable resources to serve all of our customers," said Stefan Bird, president and CEO of Pacific Power, the unit of PacifiCorp that serves customers in Oregon, Washington and California. "These investments will also bring substantial economic benefits to rural communities where the facilities will be located."
The Energy Vision 2020 projects, first announced in April, were identified in the company's 2017 Integrated Resource Plan as the most cost-effective option to meet customers' energy needs over the next 20 years. By moving to complete the projects by 2020, the company will be able to use federal production tax credits to provide a net cost savings to customers over the life of the projects. The projects also are expected to create between 1,100 and 1,600 construction jobs in Wyoming and add approximately $120 million in tax revenue from construction and significant post-construction annual tax revenue starting at approximately $11 million in 2021 and growing to an estimated $14 million for the state beginning in 2024.
Visit energyvision2020.com for more information about the initiative.