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 do not necessarily reflect the opinions of National Wind Watch. They are the products of and owned by the organizations or individuals noted and are shared here according to “fair use” and “fair dealing” provisions of copyright law.
Proposal to lay cables under Columbia met with skepticism
Can slicing a 100-mile trench into the bed of the Columbia River be good for the environment? The answer is a big yes, says a team of energy developers that proposes submerging power cables in the riverbed. The developers say the cables could deliver “clean” energy that will be crucial for getting the most densely developed areas of Cascadia off fossil fuels. A proposal by energy developer Sun2o Partners and transmission developer PowerBridge would insert the cables into the Columbia . . . Complete story »
Massive offshore wind farms could be coming to Oregon
A federal agency is planning some big things for offshore wind energy on the Oregon Coast. In a June 23 presentation to the Curry County Board of Commissioners, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management outlined their process in identifying locations for some truly massive wind turbines – the largest of which are taller than the Statue of Liberty and the Washington Monument at more than 850 feet – not to mention the span of the whirling blades – which can be longer than . . . Complete story »
Oregon’s big climate bill of 2021 generates little friction
Oregon would adopt one of the country’s most ambitious timelines for eliminating carbon dioxide emissions from its power grid under a major bill advocates believe will pass the Legislature this year. House Bill 2021 – a product of intensive negotiations between the state’s largest utilities, environmental justice groups, renewable energy boosters and more – advanced out of one House committee last week. It must now navigate the state budgeting process before final votes in the House and Senate. In a legislative session . . . Complete story »
NW solar, wind developments could impact vast swaths of ag land
Up to 146,000 acres of the Northwest – much of it farmland – could be converted to solar production by 2050, according to a recent study. In addition, wind power production could directly impact nearly 8,800 acres. The American Farmland Trust used National Renewable Energy Lab data to study several scenarios, said Addie Candib, Pacific Northwest regional director for the trust. AFT is a nonprofit that works to protect and conserve farmland. The cost of solar developments will impact the number and . . . Complete story »
Controversial Oregon power line gets national nod as transmission gains favor
A controversial $1.2 billion transmission line in northeastern Oregon is on a new list of 22 projects nationwide that a coalition of advocacy groups and industry players says are primed to be built, yielding renewable energy benefits and green jobs. The projects “could begin construction in the near term if more workable transmission policies are enacted,” the coalition said in a report that was endorsed by the Biden administration on Tuesday. But Idaho Power, the utility spearheading the 300-mile, 500-kilovolt . . . Complete story »
A proposed power plant near Hermiston may be canceled, but controversy remains
Friends of the Columbia Gorge and other environmental groups are currently challenging the agency’s decision to greenlight construction of the Summit Ridge Wind Farm in Wasco County. They say that project, located along a section of the Deschutes River classified as wild and scenic, would have adverse impacts on raptors and other wildlife. Again, they contend that agency illegally allowed project backers to begin roadwork at the site to meet a construction deadline, avoiding changes its site certificate that would have triggered more public scrutiny and input. Phased construction was never contemplated in the original permit. Complete story »
Despite troubled past, critics say Oregon Department of Energy is ignoring rules to benefit power plants
Earlier this month, several conservation groups filed for judicial review of the department’s actions on the Summit Ridge Wind Farm in Wasco County. Among other things, they claim the department allowed backers of that project to make improvements to a private road to demonstrate that it had satisfied “phase 1” construction requirement on that facility. “No statute or regulation authorizes ‘phased construction,’” said Nathan Baker, senior staff attorney with Friends of the Columbia River Gorge. Complete story »
Tri-City groups leery of $33 billion proposal to remove dams
Neither small modular reactors nor the type of batteries needed for long-term to store wind and solar energy in the Northwest remain under development. Currently, battery storage is available but is generally used for storing electricity for a few hours. The Northwest likely would need new kinds of battery storage to provide constant power for much longer periods, such as winter cold snaps when the wind may not blow for days. “We welcome the advancement of these technologies, but the region’s electric customers should not be made reliant on technological breakthroughs to keep the lights on,” [Kurt Miller, executive director of Northwest RiverPartners,] said. Complete story »
North Coast’s wind energy could supply state with 4% of its electricity needs
California’s North Coast, along with southern Oregon, has the strongest offshore winds in the U.S., researchers say, and could generate approximately 4% of the state’s electricity needs if a larger offshore wind farm was built in a 200-square-mile area about 20 miles off the coast of Humboldt Bay. “It’s quite significant,” Arne Jacobson, director of the Schatz Energy Research Center at Humboldt State University, said at a virtual session presenting the findings of local offshore wind research on Monday afternoon. . . . Complete story »
Avangrid Renewables building Oregon wind farm after deal with Puget Sound Energy
These big renewable energy projects can linger for years, as Golden Hills did, waiting for an energy off-taker to emerge. But climate action, cost trends and the chance to maximize the value of federal incentives are spurring activity these days. Complete story »
