For More Information Contact:
Lance Robertson, 984-4716
Eugene Water & Electric Board

July 19, 2006

EWEB to purchase more wind power

The Eugene Water & Electric Board plans to significantly increase its share of renewable energy by purchasing additional power from a new wind farm that is scheduled for construction in Eastern Oregon.

In addition, the municipal utility is seeking to buy geothermal power from a facility to be constructed in Idaho.

EWEB’s elected Board of Commissioners on Tuesday night (July 18) gave utility staff the go-ahead to sign contracts for 25 MW of wind power. The power purchase agreement would double EWEB’s share of non-hydroelectric renewable energy.

“The purchase of this power will continue EWEB’s commitment to renewable energy and enhance our position as a leader among Northwest public utilities in the acquisition of wind energy,” said Dick Helgeson, EWEB’s Power Resources Division Director.

EWEB is negotiating a contract to purchase 25 megawatts of wind power from PPM Energy, which plans to build the Klondike III wind farm east of the town of Wasco, in Sherman County, by January 2008. PPM has received approval from the Oregon Energy Facility Siting Council for the wind farm next to the existing Klondike I and II wind turbines. In addition, EWEB is interested in buying up to 15 megawatts of geothermal power from the proposed Raft River project, to be built by U.S. Geothermal about 40 miles southeast of Burley, Idaho, by 2009.

On an annual basis, the additional wind energy purchased by EWEB would meet the needs of about 5,000 single-family homes. Should EWEB decided to participate in the geothermal project, it could provide enough energy to power an additional 8,000 households.

The new wind and geothermal power purchases would increase EWEB’s current “portfolio” of non-hydroelectric renewable power to more than 10 percent of the utility’s overall energy needs. EWEB currently co-owns a wind farm in Wyoming and purchases wind power from the Stateline project near Walla Walla, Wash.

Earlier this year, EWEB commissioners approved additional funding for renewable power projects as part of an overall rate increase that went into effect in May. About 1 percent of customers’ rates now are used to acquire electricity generated from renewable sources, either through purchase agreements or new construction. About 80 percent of EWEB’s current energy needs come from hydroelectricity.