Pacific Northwest targets 14 GW clean energy buildout by 2032

Energy planners covering Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington say the Pacific Northwest needs a big buildout of power sources by 2032 to keep up with demand from data centers, chip plants, and a more electrified economy. The Northwest Power and Conservation Council's draft plan calls for 9 gigawatts of new wind and solar, 5 gigawatts of battery storage, about 2 gigawatts of gas plants, and demand response programs (where users cut back power use at peak times). The estimated cost is about $2 billion a year.

This is a shift from past plans that focused more on efficiency. It also asks data center developers to bring their own power resources, like batteries, and to meet strict efficiency rules, especially for cooling systems. Only the Bonneville Power Administration, a federal agency that supplies a third of the region's power, is legally bound to follow the plan, though other utilities generally aim for it too. Building new power lines remains a challenge: Bonneville controls most of the region's transmission but hasn't built new long-distance lines in years, despite announcing about $5 billion for upgrades since 2023.

Even though Washington and Oregon have laws requiring 100% clean power by 2040 and 2045, some new gas plants are still planned, partly as backup for hydropower, which supplies about half the region's electricity but is becoming less predictable as climate change shifts snowmelt patterns. Most new gas plants would likely be built in Idaho and Montana, though some could still go up in Washington.

The public can comment on the draft plan through October 16, with hearings planned across all four states. A final version is expected by early 2027.