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PacifiCorp

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"Pacific Power & Light Company" redirects here. For the video game company, see Pacific Coast Power & Light.
PacifiCorp
Company typeSubsidiary
IndustryElectric power industry
Founded1910; 114 years ago (1910)
HeadquartersLloyd Center Tower
Portland, Oregon, U.S.
Area served
Key people
  • William J. Fehrman (Chair and CEO, PacifiCorp)
  • Stefan Bird (President and CEO, Pacific Power)
  • Gary Hoogeveen (President and CEO, Rocky Mountain Power)
Number of employees
5,000
ParentBerkshire Hathaway Energy
Subsidiaries
  • Pacific Power
  • Rocky Mountain Power
Websitewww.pacificorp.com
Footnotes / references
[1][2]

PacifiCorp is an electric power company based in the Lloyd Center Tower in Portland, Oregon with operations in the western United States.[3]

PacifiCorp has two business units: Pacific Power, a regulated electric utility with service territory throughout Oregon, northern California, and southeastern Washington headquartered in Portland, Oregon; and Rocky Mountain Power, a regulated electric utility with service territory throughout Utah, Wyoming, and southeastern Idaho, headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah. PacifiCorp operates one of the largest privately held transmission systems in the U.S. within the western Energy Imbalance Market.[4]

Pacific Power and Rocky Mountain Power combined serve over 1.6 million residential customers, 202,000 commercial customers, and 37,000 industrial and irrigation customers, for a total of approximately 1,813,000 customers. The service area is 143,000 square miles (370,000 km2). The company owns and maintains 16,500 miles (26,600 km) of long-distance transmission lines, 64,000 miles (103,000 km) of distribution lines, and 900 substations.

PacifiCorp owns, maintains and operates generation assets and manages the commercial and trading operations of the company. PacifiCorp owns 68 generating plants with a capacity of 9,140 megawatts. 70.6% of the generation is from thermal sources (i.e., coal or natural gas), 6.7% from hydroelectric sources, and 0.2% from renewable sources. 22.5% of PacifiCorp's generation is purchased from other suppliers or under contracts.

The company is planning on keeping only 3 of its 22 coal-fired power stations operational beyond 2040 and is planning to source 56% of its yearly consumption with renewable energy by 2040.[5]

History

[edit]

Pacific Power & Light was formed in 1910 from the merger of several financially troubled utilities in Oregon and Washington to form the Pacific Power & Light Company.[2] It gradually expanded its reach to include most of Oregon, as well as portions of California, Washington and Wyoming. In 1984, it reorganized itself as a holding company, PacifiCorp, headquartered in Portland with Pacific Power as its main subsidiary.

Utah Power and Light (UP&L) was organized on 6 September 1912 from the merger of four electric companies in Utah, Idaho and Wyoming and was a Salt Lake City subsidiary of a large holding company, Electric Bond and Share Company (EBASCO) of New York. Within four years of its organization, UP&L had purchased twenty-seven other electric companies in the general Utah area, and eventually absorbed more than one hundred thirty. In 1881, one of those companies had made Salt Lake City the fifth city in the world with central station electricity.

In 1954, Pacific Power & Light merged with the Mountain States Power Company, essentially doubling the company's service area. In 1961, the company purchased the California Oregon Power Company, extending its service into southern Oregon and northern California.[6]

In 1977, PacifiCorp spun off its coal mining interests into a mining company known as NERCO, which was eventually listed on the New York Stock Exchange and ranked as high as 353 on the Fortune 500 list of the largest American companies. Through its majority interest in NERCO, PacifiCorp was involved in the mining of coal, oil, natural gas, gold, silver, and uranium. PacifiCorp still owned 82% of NERCO in 1993, when it was acquired by the mining giant Rio Tinto Group.[7]

In August 1987, PacifiCorp agreed to acquire Utah Power & Light.[8] The merger was completed in January 1989.[9]

In 2001, PacifiCorp was acquired by Scottish Power.[10]

In 2006, PacifiCorp was acquired by Berkshire Hathaway Energy, a division of Berkshire Hathaway, for $5.1 billion in cash.[11]

In a July 2006 reorganization, Pacific Power's territory in central and eastern Wyoming was merged with the Utah Power territory to form Rocky Mountain Power.[12][13]

Generation resources

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In these tables of generation properties owned or partially-owned by PacifiCorp, total capacity is 10,556MW. Of this, 56% is coal, 24% is natural gas, 10% is hydroelectric, and 10% is renewable.

Major generation facilities include:

Thermal generation (Fossil fueled)

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Plant Name Location Fuel Net Capacity (MW) Online Date
Jim Bridger (Two-thirds owner) Point of Rocks, WY Coal 1,413.4
Hunter Castle Dale, Utah Coal 1,112.4 1977
Huntington Huntington, Utah Coal 895.0 1973
Dave Johnston Wyoming Coal 762.0
Naughton Kemmerer, Wyoming Coal 357.0
Naughton Kemmerer, Wyoming Natural Gas 247.0
Lake Side Lindon, Utah Natural Gas 1,203.0 2007/2014
Currant Creek Mona, Utah Natural Gas 540.0
Hermiston Hermiston, Oregon Natural Gas 540.0
Chehalis Chehalis, Washington Natural Gas 540.0
Cholla Joseph City, Arizona Coal 0
Gadsby Salt Lake City, Utah Natural Gas 355.0
Wyodak Wyoming Coal 268.0
Craig (partial owner) Craig, Colorado Coal 165.0
Colstrip (partial owner) Colstrip, Montana Coal 148.0
Hayden (partial owner) Colorado Coal 78.1
Total Coal 5,579
Total Gas 3,265
TOTAL 8,844

Hydroelectric generation

[edit]
Name Net Capacity (MW)
Lewis River 578.2
North Umpqua Hydroelectric Project 199.9
Klamath River Hydroelectric Project 163.8
Bear River 103.9
Prospect (Rogue River) 36.0
(30 minor projects) 78.3
TOTAL 1160

Renewable generation

[edit]
Name Type Net Capacity (MW)
Leaning Juniper I Wind 100.5
Wolverine Creek Wind 64.5
Rock River I Wind 50.0
Combine Hills Wind 41.0
Foote Creek Wind 41.1
Blundell Geothermal 33.0
Goodnoe Hills Wind 94
Marengo I Wind 156
Marengo II Wind 78
Glenrock Wind 138
Seven Mile Hill Wind 99
Seven Mile Hill II Wind 19.5
Rolling Hills Wind 99
Glenrock III Wind 39
High Plains Wind 99
McFadden Ridge Wind 28.8
Dunlap Wind 111
Black Cap Solar 2
Cedar Springs II Wind 200
Ekola Flats Wind 250.9
TB Flats I Wind 250
TB Flats II Wind 250
Total Wind 2,209.6
Total Solar 2
Total Geothermal 33
TOTAL Renewable 2,244.6

Coal mining

[edit]

PacifiCorp also owns and operates several captive coal mines located at or very near some of its generation plants. In Wyoming, PacifiCorp operates and has partial interest in Jim Bridger Mine and owns the Dave Johnston Mine, which is in final reclamation. The company also owned and operated the Deer Creek Mine in Utah, near the Huntington Plant but closed it in 2015 and has a partial interest in the Trapper Mine in Colorado.

Electric vehicles

[edit]

Calling it a "new era of utility involvement in transportation electrification," the Portland Business Journal in 2018 described PacifiCorp's electric vehicle promotion program as a plan that promises new electric vehicle charging sites, outreach and education efforts. The program was spawn from legislation passed in 2016 that called for more renewable energy from the state's utility companies.[14]

Customers

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As of May 1, 2007, Rocky Mountain Power serves approximately 758,000 customers in Utah, 129,000 customers in Idaho, and 67,000 customers in Wyoming.

Net metering

[edit]

In November 2017, Rocky Mountain Power made a deal with Utah's utility authorities to phase out net metering. The program was paying customers who generated their own electricity with rooftop solar panels the residential rate for their excess energy that got sent back into the energy grid. As of August 2018, new rooftop solar installations were down 23 percent, likely due to the cancellation of the net metering program. New solar customers are paid by a transitional program that pays slightly less than the residential rate until 2033. People who installed solar panels prior to November 2017 are grandfathered at the previous rates until 2035.[15]

Pacific Power

[edit]

Pacific Power serves customers in Washington, Oregon and California. Major cities served include:

As of December 31, 2009, Pacific Power serves 555,070 customers in Oregon, 126,665 customers in Washington, and 45,148 customers in California.[16]

Rocky Mountain Power

[edit]

Rocky Mountain Power serves customers in Idaho, Utah, and Wyoming.

Major cities served include:

Idaho

[edit]

Ammon, Lava Hot Springs, Malad City, Montpelier, Preston, Rigby, Rexburg, Saint Anthony, Shelley

Utah

[edit]

Rocky Mountain Power serves most major cities in Utah, with the following exceptions:

Bountiful, Kaysville, Lehi, Logan, Provo, Murray, Monroe, Monticello, Springville, St. George

Wyoming

[edit]

Buffalo, Casper, Cody, Douglas, Evanston, Green River, Kemmerer, Lander, Laramie, Rawlins, Riverton, Rock Springs, Thermopolis

[edit]

In 2023, a jury ordered PacifiCorp to pay $70 million in punitive damages to 17 homeowners negatively impacted by the 2020 Oregon wildfires.[17] In August 2024, PacifiCorp revealed that it faced at least $46 billion in claims resulting from four separate class action complaints related to the wildfires.[18]

References

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  1. ^ "PacifiCorp". Berkshire Hathaway Energy.
  2. ^ a b "PacifiCorp". Encyclopedia.com.
  3. ^ Culverwell, Wendy (August 24, 2007). "Fresh off some big moves, Integra signs large lease". American City Business Journals.
  4. ^ "California ISO - EIMRedirect".
  5. ^ "2023 Integrated Resource Plan" (PDF). PacifiCorp. Figure 9.40 – 2021 IRP Preferred Portfolio Coal Retirements/Gas Conversions; Figure 9.45 – Projected Energy Mix with Preferred Portfolio Resources.
  6. ^ "Answers - The Most Trusted Place for Answering Life's Questions". Answers.com.
  7. ^ "Rio Tinto timeline". Archived from the original on 19 December 2010. Retrieved 12 May 2023.
  8. ^ Stevenson, Richard W. (14 August 1987). "Pacificorp, Utah Power To Merge". The New York Times.
  9. ^ GILLINS, PETER (January 9, 1989). "PacifiCorp merges with Utah Power". United Press International.
  10. ^ Kranhold, Kathryn; Lipin, Steven (December 7, 1998). "Scottish Power Agrees to Buy PacifiCorp In a Stock Deal Valued at $7.8 Billion". The Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660.
  11. ^ "Buffett buys PacifiCorp for $5.1 billion cash". NBC News. Associated Press. May 24, 2005.
  12. ^ Wallace, Brice (July 12, 2006). "Bye to Utah Power: On Monday, utility's name will become Rocky Mountain Power". Deseret News.
  13. ^ "Pacific Power becomes Rocky Mountain Power". Pinedale, Wyoming. July 12, 2006.
  14. ^ Pete Danko (6 March 2018). "PacifiCorp OK'd to build EV charging stations as part of $4.6M transportation plan". Portland Business Journal. Retrieved 12 May 2023.
  15. ^ "The number of Utahns installing solar power has dropped 23 percent since utility changed the way customers are paid". The Salt Lake Tribune. Retrieved 2018-08-30.
  16. ^ "Pacific Power Quick Facts". Retrieved 2010-05-31.
  17. ^ RUSH, CLAIRE; Johnson, Gene (June 14, 2023). "Oregon jury: PacifiCorp must pay punitive damages for fires, plus award that could reach billions". Associated Press.
  18. ^ Hering, Garrett (August 5, 2024). "Wildfire claims against PacifiCorp surge to $46B on Oregon mass complaints". S&P Global. Archived from the original on 2024-08-23.
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