Wind Power News: Oregon
These news and opinion items are gathered by National Wind Watch to help keep readers informed about developments related to industrial wind energy. They are the products of the organizations or individuals noted and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of National Wind Watch.
Wheatridge wind farm seeks bigger turbine blades
NextEra Energy Resources wants taller blades on turbines at its Wheatridge Wind Energy Facility sites in Umatilla and Morrow counties. NextEra, based in Florida, bought the development rights for the 292-turbine wind farm in June 2017. The project would produce a maximum of 500 megawatts of power on almost 13,100 acres separated into two sites – the west turbine group about 7 miles northwest of Heppner and the east turbine group which spans the border of Morrow and Umatilla counties. NextEra . . . Complete story »
PacifiCorp challenges PUC staff in controversial $1.5B wind power bidding process
PacifiCorp is defending a $1.5 billion wind power solicitation that has come under sharp attack from Oregon Public Utility Commission staff, emphasizing that an independent evaluator that monitored the process endorsed the results as “the best viable options.” “The independent evaluator is an independent expert appointed and managed by the commission – not PacifiCorp – to ensure that the (request for proposals) process was conducted in a fair and unbiased manner and to ensure that the final shortlist projects are reasonable and . . . Complete story »
PUC staff blasts PacifiCorp over $1.5B wind power bidding process
PacifiCorp’s rush to add a billion and a half dollars of new wind power in Wyoming is facing a challenge – a scathing review by Oregon utility regulatory staff of a bidding process that led to projects that would be largely owned by the company. The projects were still likely to deliver benefits to PacifiCorp customers, an independent evaluator said, but the staff said the process unfairly cut out competitors offering potentially better deals. “The RFP process did not result in . . . Complete story »
Winds of change: What will power the Northwest’s future?
MARTINSDALE, Mont. – Carl Borgquist wants to spend more than $1 billion to transform a remote butte fringed by pine trees into a giant water battery. This might seem a madman’s folly if not for the roller-coaster nature of wind and solar power production, which can soar when few need electricity, then fade in the evenings when people come home to turn on the lights. When demand is low, Borquist would store energy in the form of water pumped from a . . . Complete story »
Native birds face legal threats, in Oregon and beyond
Somewhat earlier than usual because of the warm weather, thousands of snow geese and trumpeter swans have returned to Oregon oases, including Summer Lake and the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge – an annual reminder that winter is nearing its end. The geese and swans, migrating up from California’s Central Valley, are among the first arrivals along the Pacific Flyway, a massive West Coast migration corridor for birds that extends from Alaska to Mexico. Jeff Mackay, deputy project leader for the Malheur . . . Complete story »
Lawmakers from 9 states vow to put a price on carbon
Dive Brief: Lawmakers in nine states have formed a coalition to strengthen their efforts at tackling climate issues at the state level, seeking to put a price on carbon dioxide emissions while searching for market-based solutions. Only California has an economy-wide tax on carbon, and some form of that appears to be where the coalition is headed – even if all of the states involved are not on board. Vermont Gov. Phil Scott (R) is opposed to a carbon tax and this . . . Complete story »
Federal commission confirms UEC’s authority to build Wheatridge transmission line
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission ordered Umatilla Electric Cooperative to provide wholesale transmission service to a Wheatridge Wind Energy project, rejecting a protest by Heppner-based Columbia Basin Electric Cooperative that the action would encroach on its exclusive service territory. The proposed wind farm, broken up into two areas a few miles north of Heppner, would include up to 292 turbines and generate up to 500 megawatts of energy. The project’s developers have been working with UEC on a plan for . . . Complete story »
Trump eases rules for bird-killing wind turbines, power lines
Lynn Tompkins peers down at a red-tailed hawk laid across a small exam table at Blue Mountain Wildlife’s clinic in Pendleton, Oregon. It’s out cold. “She was in very good shape until she got zapped,” Tompkins says as she removes the bandage on the hawk’s left wing, revealing a raw wound. The bird was electrocuted a week earlier near Boardman, likely the result of a run-in with a power line. Tompkins has helped rescue birds from all over eastern Oregon . . . Complete story »
Tillamook transmission line proposal meets with controversy
Controversy over an electrical transmission line in Tillamook County is expected to come to a head this year as the developer pursues three key permits. The 8.6-mile line would cross farmland and forestland, drawing opposition from landowners in its path who worry about impediments to agriculture and logging. Opponents argue that a new transmission line between Tillamook and Oceanside isn’t justified by actual electricity demand, but may instead be intended as a connection to future wave power or offshore wind . . . Complete story »
Tillamook transmission line proposal meets with controversy
Controversy over an electrical transmission line in Oregon’s Tillamook County is expected to come to a head in 2018 as the developer pursues three key permits. The 8.6-mile line would cross farmland and forestland, drawing opposition from landowners in its path who worry about impediments to agriculture and logging. Opponents argue that a new transmission line between Tillamook and Oceanside isn’t justified by actual electricity demand, but may instead be intended as a connection to future wave power or offshore . . . Complete story »
