EWEB could need new power sources as early as 2026 - The Register-Guard

EWEB could need new power sources as early as 2026

Eugene Water & Electric Board outlines 20-year plan for meeting power demands
Alan Torres

Eugene Water & Electric could need a new power sources as early as 2026 as electric use rises 2% a year as residents switch to electric vehicles and heat pumps and the population grows, EWEB's board said during a recent meeting on a plan to meet energy demand in the next 20 years.

The Integrated Resource Plan calls for moving from a model that's relies on 10% fossil fuels to 5% fossil fuels.

The utility said it would use a combination of its current portfolio which is 77% hydro power, new wind farms, batteries, conservation (steps to reduce energy use), demand response (encouraging customers to not use electricity at peak times), and small modular nuclear power.

That nuclear power proposal got a reaction during a July 11 meeting.

Vince McClellan, founder of Eugene solar panel company Energy Design, was one of 15 people who spoke against nuclear energy at the meeting. "The Trojan Nuclear Power Plant, which has now been dismantled, still has all of its spent nuclear fuel rods still in place close to the Columbia River with no permanent storage," McClellan said. "You don't have anywhere to put this type of material."

EWEB commissioners emphasized that nuclear was a suggestion, and the entire plan is preliminary. "In the plan, nuclear doesn't even pop up as an option until 2042," Commissioner Sonya Carlson said. "I would hope by that point we have lots of other technology options."

Community members also criticized the plan for not proposing more of an investment in solar energy. Commissioners said solar wasn't a realistic solution for the Northwest.

"The peak demand that we're looking to address is in the winter when solar generation is just not as productive," Commissioner Matt McRae said. "Not to say that solar isn't a part of the solution. But [at] the point we are in planning, it doesn't fit the need that we're trying to solve for."

Recommended Action Plan

The 20-year-plan also includes action items meant for EWEB to take over the next three years. Most of those are about collecting more information to better predict future demand and how to meet it.

Renegotiate contracts

EWEB buys 80% of is power from the Bonneville Power Association, which primarily produces hydro power but also produces nuclear. EWEB plans to negotiate a new contract in 2025. How much power EWEB gets from BPA will affect how much power it needs to find from other sources.

In addition, EWEB has contracts with local energy providers such as Sierra Pacific and International Paper that could be modified to give EWEB more locally-sourced power.

Studies and Strategy Development

EWEB plans to commission studies on how to improve energy efficiency and demand response and plans to develop a framework for reviewing and acquiring new resources. The utility also said it will more closely analyze changes in the electricity market to "identify the gaps and investments required in systems, processes, and resources."

Refining for the next integrated resource plan

EWEB will publish the next IRP in 2025. Things like the Inflation Reduction Act− which will involve incentives for electrifying but still has pending details− changes in technology, and new data on electricity usage will affect the IRP's modeling and can change projections.

Register-Guard reporter Alan Torres covers local government. You may reach him at atorres@registerguard.com