Pacific Northwest municipal utility Portland General Electric (PGE) has announced its acquisition of the Evergreen battery energy storage system, a new 75-MW project to be located at a soon-to-be-constructed substation in Hillsboro, Oregon.
The battery project, which is expected to commence operations in 2024, will be owned by PGE and built by Minnesota-based construction engineering company Mortenson. According to PGE, the system will contribute significantly to Oregon’s transition to clean energy by providing essential non-emitting dispatchable capacity.
The announcement follows the utility’s recent procurement of 400 MW of battery projects.
The Evergreen facility is the final procurement resulting from PGE’s 2021 Request for Proposal (RFP), which has resulted in projects such as the Clearwater Wind Farm with a capacity of 311 MW. The wind farm is expected to commence operations by the end of 2023.
“From Clearwater to Evergreen, Portland General Electric is building Oregon’s clean energy future,” said Maria Pope, President & CEO of PGE. “Our wind, solar, hydro and battery storage facilities work together as part of a resilient grid to provide safe and reliable energy while helping us to manage costs.”
PGE has recently filed its 2023 Draft RFP with the Oregon Public Utility Commission, initiating the process of integrating new clean energy resources into its portfolio. The utility plans to seek bids for additional non-emitting dispatchable capacity resources, such as batteries, which will continue to play an increasingly significant role in its portfolio.
