The future for PGE’s Boardman coal plant
Posted on 22. Jan, 2010 by crowley in Blog, General
PGE’s recent announcement that the company plans to step up the timetable to close its Boardman coal-fired power plant has generated a range of reactions, from “hooray!” to concerns for cost and ability to meet base load power needs. The Oregonian opined on the topic on January 19:
Some environmentalists have argued that emissions from the Boardman plant are such that it should be shut down as early as next year, or at least by 2014. Whether Boardman’s emissions merit that action, a rash one in our view, has yet to be proven to the appropriate regulators, but it is certain that shutting down the plant in 2011 or 2014 would throw customers of the state’s largest electric utility into a world of uncertainty.- Oregonian, Jan. 19, 2010.
Maybe, but probably not so much. PGE will not put their customers in jeopardy in terms of reliable supply. And the whole process, which requires Oregon Public Utility Commission consideration and approval, is likely to end up with a good result. A compromise result, to be sure, but anyone concerned about global climate change should be encouraged by this step.
Whatever resource PGE taps for power to replace power from Boardman, having electrons from our Greater Echanis projects on the grid will help decrease the likelihood that all of that replacement power comes from fossil fuels alone. If you look at the comparative production profile of our wind projects and those in the Columbia River Gorge area, you see that “blending” these diverse resources provides a remarkably uniform, renewable resource. That’s what the region needs to replace coal and reduce our dependence on fossil and imported fuels. The Greater Echanis wind projects are a vital part of making that goal a reality!
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