More than 50,000 electric vehicles (EVs) are estimated to be on Oregon roadways by 2020, according to utility company Pacific Power.
The Public Utility Commission of Oregon recently approved three pilot projects that are part of a series of a Pacific Power $3.5 billion Energy Vision 2020 plan to prepare the energy grid for the future.
The utility will clean energy portfolio by installing adding more than 1,300 megawatts of new wind generation and upgrade existing wind generation facilities. It also will install smart meters throughout the state.
These efforts get Oregon closer to meeting the benchmarks set in the 2016 Clean Electricity and Coal Transition Act. The state legislation sets the goal of more than 80 percent of electricity coming from renewable and clean sources by 2040.
“We are making the grid more efficient, cleaner, and more reliable,” Stefan Bird, Pacific Power president and CEO, said. “We are bringing even more renewable resources online in a smarter, more resilient grid that will reduce emissions from our power supply while keeping costs low. And, we are helping clean the air in a new way by fostering a new age of transportation less dependent on fossil fuels.”
Most of Oregon’s greenhouse gas emissions come from the transportation sector.