PacificCorp is a customer of Clark Public Utilities via the power purchase agreement at Combine Hills wind farm and transmission for this resource. As CPUD is also a customer of the BPA, I also support the development of additional transmission infrastructure to improve reliability and lower overall costs. I was glad to read that the proposed easements are already in place.
“Portland power company PacifiCorp plans to run a new high-voltage transmission line through east Clark County, the company confirmed last week. The project, set to start construction in 2027 or 2028, revives property easements that the company has had for decades.
“The new line will increase the reliability of the connection between the Swift generation (facility) and Pacific Power customers,” said Simon Gutierrez, senior communications specialist at PacifiCorp. PacifiCorp operates four dams on the Lewis River — Yale, Merwin and two Swift facilities. Pacific Power, a division of PacifiCorp, serves customers across Washington, Oregon and California.
Gutierrez said the company currently relies on the Bonneville Power Administration to transmit power from its Swift Dam to customers in the Portland area. “The company evaluated the continued cost of this transmission service from BPA and determined that constructing this new transmission line and terminating BPA transmission service would result in a lower cost to customers,” Gutierrez said. “Swift is a critical, non-emitting resource given its flexibility and ability to provide operating reserves to the PacifiCorp system in the Pacific Northwest,” Gutierrez added.
The transmission project, which will install primarily 230kV power lines, would run through parts of Cougar, Amboy, Yacolt, Hockinson and east Vancouver into Oregon.” (The Columbian, S. Wolf, 10.22.24)
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