PUC Rejects Coal Plant Proposals
The Oregon Public Utility Commission has rejected PacifiCorp plans to build two new coal plants.
The commission found that PacifiCorp failed to justify the need for the new coal plants and had not given enough consideration to renewable resources or conservation measures to reduce energy consumption.
The decision was welcomed by the Oregon State Public Interest Research Group.
OSPIRG said it will help protect the environment and the economy from the effects of global warming. The group said the coal plants likely would have been built in Utah and Wyoming, but Oregon customers would have paid for roughly one quarter of the cost.
PacifiCorp operates as Pacific Power in Oregon, Washington and California, and as Rocky Mountain Power in Utah, Wyoming and Idaho. It serves about 1.6 million customers, including 530,000 in Oregon.
