The details: This figure comes from the Northwest Power and Conservation Council’s recent draft report. The target includes 9 GW of renewables, 5 GW of storage, and 2.1 GW of natural gas. Along with other grid upgrades, the regional plan is set to cost around $2.3B. This would prove quite the feat—the last time the PNW added 10 GW to its energy mix, it took a decade.
Why the rush? The NPCC has predicted that the region’s demand could double over the next 20 years. That estimate is driven by data centers, building and transit electrification, and hydrogen production.
Sun, Aug 16
Molly Glick
Energy Central Team
NEWS: The Pacific Northwest needs an unprecedented 11+ GW of new generation over the next five years.
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