The plan for maintaining the electrical grid across the Pacific Northwest for the next 20 years will also keep greenhouse gas pollution to a minimum.
The Northwest Power and Conservation Council is set to release the latest version of its 20-year energy plan for Idaho, Washington, Oregon and Montana.
The council revises the regional plan every five years, and it says that most of the increased demand for electricity can be met with improved efficiency and conservation. The plan says the rest – amounting to about one-sixth of future demand – can be met by clean wind power and some low-emission natural gas-fired plants.
Hydropower still supplies the bulk of Northwest electricity, and no coal plants are expected in the regional plan when it comes up for a final vote by the council on Wednesday.
