Power Supply, Integrated Resource Plan & Clean Energy Implementation Plan
Fuel Mix
Cowlitz PUD buys over 90 percent of its wholesale power from Bonneville Power Administration. The majority of the BPA power comes from the Columbia River system hydroelectric projects. BPA also sells the output of the Columbia Generating System (nuclear plant) near Richland, WA, and makes miscellaneous energy purchases on the open market, which may include resources other than hydro.
The rest of the PUD’s power comes from its own Swift No. 2 Hydroelectric Project on the Lewis River (near Cougar, WA), and from the mid-Columbia River hydro projects owned by Grant PUD.
According to data provided by the Washington State Department of Commerce, here’s the most recent breakdown of Cowlitz PUD’s fuel sources:
| ■ Coal – 0.1% ■ Hydro – 62.5% ■ Natural Gas – 0.7% |
■ Nuclear – 7.4% ■ Wind – 7.3% ■ *Other – 3.2% |
■ Unspecified – 15.7% ■ Solar – 3.0% |
*includes biomass, cogeneration, geothermal, landfill gas, petroleum, waste incineration, and other fuel types
| Fuel Type | PUD Mix |
| Biogas | 0.00% |
| Biomass | 3.17% |
| Coal | 0.13% |
| Geothermal | 0.00% |
| Hydro | 62.46% |
| Natural Gas | 0.74% |
| Nuclear | 7.44% |
| Other Biogenic | 0.06% |
| Other Non-Biogenic | 0.00% |
| Petroleum | 0.01% |
| Solar | 2.96% |
| Waste | 0.00% |
| Wind | 7.3% |
| Unspecified | 15.73% |
| Total | 100.00% |
Integrated Resource Plan
Cowlitz PUD is required by Washington State law, RCW 19.280, to develop “a comprehensive resource plan that explains the mix of generation and demand‐side resources it plans to use to meet its customers’ electricity needs in both the long term and the short term.” The law stipulates that Cowlitz PUD produce a full plan every four years, and provide an update to the full plan every two years.
Cowlitz PUD’s 2020 Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) lays out a strategy for meeting its energy needs, capacity demand, and Washington State renewable portfolio standard (RPS) obligations over a 10-year planning horizon from 2020 through 2030. The goal of this IRP is to provide a framework for evaluating a wide array of supply resources, conservation, and renewable energy credits. The IRP provides guidance towards strategies that will provide reliable, low cost electricity to the District’s ratepayers at a reasonable level of risk. The 2020 IRP outlines the sources of power needed to supply our customers through 2030. It describes the mix of resources from generation, conservation and efficiency that will meet current and projected needs at the lowest reasonable cost and risk to the utility and its customer-owners.
- 2022 Integrated Resource Plan Update (PDF)
- 2020 Integrated Resource Plan (PDF)
- 2018 Integrated Resource Plan Update (PDF)
- 2016 Integrated Resource Plan (PDF)
Clean Energy Implementation Plan
On May 7th, 2019, Governor Jay Inslee signed into law the Clean Energy Transformation ACT (CETA), which commits Washington to an electricity supply clean of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2045. In addition, Governor Inslee in 2021 signed into law the Climate Commitment Act (CCA), this Act caps and reduces greenhouse gas emissions from Washington’s largest emitting sources starting in 2023 and works alongside CETA to help Washington achieve its commitment to reducing GHG emissions by 95% by 2050. One of the requirements for CETA is for utilities to complete a Clean Energy Implementation Plan by January 1, 2022, with updates every four years.
With the passing of the CCA it was necessary for the District to update its Clean Energy Implementation Plan (CEIP) Appendix A. Based on the District’s initial allocation of CCA no-cost allowances, it was determined that new loads and resources forecast were needed for 2023 – 2026. These dates corresponded to the years utilized in the current CEIP (2022-2026). In July of 2023, the District’s Board of Commissioners adopted the revised supply and demand forecast and the subsequent updated CEIP.
Linked below is a copy of the District updated documentation: Appendix A: Climate Commitment Act Loads and Resources Forecast 2023-2026.
