Electricity Supply Planning helps utilities understand the resources, technology, and infrastructure that will be needed to meet customers' future electricity needs. 

EWEB's ongoing Electricity Supply Planning effort is aimed at optimizing our power resources, assets, infrastructure, and customer products and services so that we can continue to serve our community with clean, affordable and reliable power, consistent with the values of our customer-owners.

We are exploring questions such as:

• How will the demand for electricity change over time?
• What risks does EWEB need to plan for and mitigate?
• What products and services will customers expect?
• What investments are needed?
• How can we partner with others across the region to optimize the interconnected electric grid?

Public Involvement

Creating our energy future is a team sport! We invite you to stay informed and involved by:

• Checking this website for updates
• Signing up to receive news and updates via email
• Attending EWEB Board of Commissioners meetings
• Watching EWEB communications for updates and public meeting announcements

Curious about electrification and Electricity Supply Planning?
We would love to hear from you!
Send your comments or questions to EWEB's Electricity Supply Planning team at esp@eweb.org.

Electrification Impact Study

In early 2020, EWEB initiated a study of the impacts of widespread electrification on our community. In this study, EWEB will hypothesize various electrification scenarios and assess potential impacts to power supply, demand, local infrastructure, and community greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. 

Electrification is a term for replacing direct fossil fuel use (e.g., natural gas, heating oil, gasoline) with electricity in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. 

The study aims to answer five questions:

1. How might legislation and local ordinances impact the rate of electrification in Eugene?
2. How could widespread electrification impact local electricity demand and consumption patterns?
3. What impact would electrification have on EWEB's power system (generation, transmission, distribution, etc.)?
4. What role might energy efficiency and demand-side flexibility play in mitigating challenging outcomes of mass electrification?
5. What are the potential costs, benefits, and impacts of various electrification futures?

The electrification study will be completed in phases, with Phase 1 focusing on potential changes to demand and consumption patterns, generation needs, and environmental impacts from electrification of small vehicles, water and space heating. Phase 1 was completed in October 2020. Phase 2 of the study will focus on infrastructure, costs and influence of energy efficiency and demand-side flexibility, and is targeted for completion in 2021.

Key Findings of Phase 1 Report

Adoption rates for electric vehicles, space heating and water heating are subject to wide bands of uncertainty with economics, technology and legislation among key factors influencing customer choices. A combination of ample, clean energy resources and a strong legacy of energy efficiency programs puts EWEB in a strong position to support electrification, both for our own customers and within the larger region. 

This Phase 1 study finds:

• Under the highest forecasted electrification rates, EWEB could experience load growth of 64 aMW (roughly 20%) by 2050.

• There remains a wide range of uncertainty in EV adoption rates and potential peak impacts. 

• On a forecasted average energy basis, EWEB has enough surplus energy to meet our customers' electrification needs, for at least the next five years. 

• EVs present a meaningful carbon reduction opportunity in EWEB's service territory.

• Conversion of gas space and water heating to electricity does yield carbon savings but is more difficult to estimate due to expected and yet uncertain reductions in the carbon intensity of both the electric grid and natural gas system over the next 30 years. 

• Improvement in fuel efficiency and high levels of zero-carbon electrification could help meet as much as 34% of Eugene's 2030 GHG reduction goal.

Read cover letter from General Manager Frank Lawson

Read Executive Summary

Read the Phase 1 full report

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