When the wind blows a thousand miles away, does it make a sound? Yes, and it may be powering your Bluetooth speaker right now. Portland General Electric (PGE) customers have faced nearly a 50% rate increase over the past four years. These higher costs are partly due to Oregon’s legally mandated shift from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources.
Oregon’s Renewable Energy Goals
Under Oregon House Bill 2021, utilities like PGE must eliminate greenhouse gas emissions from energy production by 2040. This ambitious goal reflects a broader push to address climate change, as energy production accounts for 25% of the nation’s greenhouse gas emissions (source: EPA).
A Milestone in Wind Power
In its journey toward cleaner energy, PGE reached a significant milestone in 2024: generating more than one gigawatt of power from wind turbines. This achievement is partly due to its newest facility located on the windy plains of eastern Montana (source: PGE Press Release).
Harnessing Wind Across the West
PGE’s interconnected energy grid spans the West Coast, from Canada to Mexico, ensuring power flows where and when it’s needed. As neighboring utilities also shift from fossil fuels and upgrade infrastructure, supply and demand continue to drive energy market prices.
“That’s why it’s important for us to diversify over geographical areas,” said Lee Recchia, senior grid operations manager at PGE. The wind doesn’t always blow through PGE’s turbines in eastern Oregon and Washington, prompting the expansion of its reach. The Clearwater Wind Project near Colstrip, Montana, is PGE’s newest site (source: Clearwater Wind Project Information).
“Clearwater is the biggest wind facility in Montana, and we own a portion of it,” Recchia stated. Despite being over 1,000 miles from Portland, PGE has utilized mostly existing transmission lines to bring this power home, strengthening its renewable energy portfolio.
Gigawatts and Home Powering
In January 2024, PGE generated more than a gigawatt of power from wind turbines for the very first time, achieving this milestone 29 times last year. To put that into perspective, one gigawatt can power approximately 830,000 homes, or all of the residential customers PGE serves. On a typical day, PGE’s system uses about three gigawatts of electricity, meaning at times, one-third of its power comes from wind energy, with a significant portion coming from Clearwater.
“This is fantastic for our customers,” Recchia emphasizes, highlighting the dual benefits of cleaner energy and potential cost savings. “It helps us to bring the price down by using wind instead of buying more expensive resources on the energy market” (source: PGE Sustainability Report).
Sources
- EPA – Greenhouse Gas Emissions
- Portland General Electric (PGE) Press Release
- Clearwater Wind Project Information
- PGE Sustainability Report
