The
Northwest is blessed with abundant renewable resource potential. With
our varied climate zones and geology, we have enough electric generation
potential from solar, wind and geothermal resources to satisfy at
least 40 percent of our nation's entire electricity needs.1
Improvements in renewable technologies are continuously reducing
their costs and expanding the Northwest's already large renewable
resource base.
As our region struggles to accommodate rapid growth and increasing
public concern about where our electricity comes from, renewables
are showing themselves to be a critical part of the solution. Our
region now has over 700 MW of renewable energy capacity operating
and more on the way. 100-300 MW of wind will hopefully be on-line
by the end of 2005, with another 860 MW approved and another 1700
MW in the permitting process and undergoing siting reviews. 313 MW
of geothermal energy projects are in the works and numerous solar
projects are contributing to the grid around the Northwest.
For a full list of renewable energy projects moving ahead in the Northwest
Click Here.
For the accompanying map Click Here
Or, make a selection from the drop down lists below for more info
on a specific project.
1. According
to the Energy Information Administration, electricity useage in
the United States in 2003 was 3,488.192 million MWh. The Renewable
Energy Atlas of the West (July 2002) gives electric generation potention
from wind, solar, and geothermal resources for Idaho (114 million
MWh), Montana (1,121 million MWh), Oregon (155 million MWh), and
Washington (104 million MWh). These four Northwest states alone
have a combined potential electric generation from these renewable
resources of 1,494 million MWh, or just over 42% of the entire electricity
usage of the United States in 2003.
For more information see the Renewable Energy Atlas of the West
(http://www.energyatlas.org/)
and the Energy Information Administration's web site for information
on electricty sales (http://www.eia.doe.gov/cneaf/electricity/page/at_a_glance/sales_tabs.html).
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