PORTLAND, US-BASED PacifiCorp has asked the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to suspend the licensing proceedings for its 6MW Powerdale hydroelectric project on the Hood river in the state of Oregon. The request, if granted, will allow the company time to explore alternatives to licensing the project.
PacifiCorp said that a number of factors contributed to the company’s request to pause the process. Analysis of the project has indicated that future operations will cause power costs from Powerdale to jump significantly. PacifiCorp serves 1.5M customers in six Western states, with nearly 8000MW of company-owned generation. Of that mix, about 1100MW are generated from 53 hydroelectric facilities.
PacifiCorp also owns and operates the Condit hydroelectric project across the Columbia river from Powerdale in southwest Washington.
In 1999, the company reached a settlement agreement with the Yakama Nation, state and federal agencies to remove the 38.1m high Condit dam in 2006.