Energy & Grid Management
Molly Glick
Molly Glick
Energy Central Team
·Posted in Energy & Grid Management
Wed, Apr 29

NEWS: The PNW could swing from a 1.2-GW capacity surplus in 2025 to a nearly 9-GW shortfall by 2030.

  • These stats come from a new E3 study commissioned by regional utilities and generation owners. What’s driving the squeeze? Both supply and demand pressures, including expanding data centers, electrification, AC adoption, and ongoing coal retirements.

  • Wind, solar, and battery additions in the region’s queue would contribute 1.9 GW of effective capacity by 2030; upcoming firm resources add 1.1 GW more, leaving roughly 6 GW unaccounted for. Filling the gap on schedule would require annual resource addition rates 4-5x above historical levels.

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