“A 2024 forecast from the Pacific Northwest Utilities Conference Committee predicts electricity demand will grow more than 30 percent in the next decade and “finding enough power in the future will be a significant challenge.” Even as electricity demand grows, environmental mandates across the West require utilities to phase out fossil-fuel power sources. Clark Public Utilities feels the squeeze. The utility draws about a third of its power from its River Road natural gas plant but must reduce that to 15 percent by 2030 to comply with state law.
Washington lawmakers passed the Clean Energy Transformation Act in 2019, requiring utilities to eliminate use of greenhouse gases by 2045. Ultimately, River Road will be closed — “unless we find an alternative fuel source or we can capture the carbon and sequester it,” said Steve Andersen, energy resources director at Clark Public Utilities. Greenhouse gas emissions trap heat, warming the planet, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Carbon dioxide makes up most of these gases emitted from electricity generation, transmission, and distribution.
The utility plans to obtain additional power from a dam in Eastern Washington, as well as solar and wind projects. For now, the utility has more power than it needs. But its own projections show demand will outstrip supply in the next 20 years. Clark Public Utilities may end up trying to find more wind and solar power on its own, he said. But the utility will be competing with others — including those in Oregon, which has also imposed clean-energy requirements — as they chase the same green energy sources.
The Bonneville Power Administration, which sells electricity generated by 31 federal dams, published a study in August projecting the agency expects to have surplus energy to meet the region’s needs in average water years. “Depending on what the needs are and how our resources are looking for any particular year, things could be quite rosy,” said Maryam Habibi, BPA’s media relations manager. “If we have low water years, then we would see probably deficits.” (The Columbian, S. Wolf, 10.26.24)
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