Washington-based utility Puget Sound Energy has issued two requests for proposals for the expansion of its energy efficiency programs and new power supply acquisitions.
Puget Sound Energy (PSE) said that customer growth and the expiration of large purchased-power contracts in the coming years are driving the need to acquire a large amount of new power supplies.
The utility estimates it will need more than 1,600 average-megawatts (aMW) of new electricity supply in the next decade, and more than 2,600aMW by 2025, roughly equivalent to the power demand of two cities the size of Seattle and Washington.
The first of the two requests seeks to broaden and expand PSE’s program for helping customers conserve energy. Under the utility’s 2007 integrated resource plan, PSE estimates that its energy efficiency programs have the ability, by 2015, to help customers cut their electricity need by 314aMW and their natural gas usage by approximately 21 million therms.
The second RFP asks outside power producers, marketers, and power plant developers to help PSE procure up to 1,340aMW of new electricity resources by 2015.