Shift to wind energy could alter fortunes on Wyoming's map
Last edited Sun Sep 10, 2017, 12:05 PM - Edit history (1)
Despite the Trump administration’s regulatory rollback and declaration that the “war on coal” is over, utilities are still moving away from coal-fired power and toward renewables, such as wind and solar.
Wyoming, with an abundant stock of both relatively cheap coal and strong, steady wind, stands to both benefit and suffer from the market and regulatory driven shift — a process that may shift some electric utility and mining jobs away from historically coal-dependent communities and over to the state’s highly-prized wind corridors.
The trend is reflected in the workings of one utility, Berkshire Hathaway’s multi-billion-dollar PacifiCorp, which plays an outsized role in how the transition might affect Wyoming.
PacifiCorp generates 10,894 megawatts of electricity and serves 1.8 million customers across six western states, including Wyoming. Coal-fired and wind generation facilities in Wyoming account for 33 percent of the utility’s total generation capacity. The industry giant operates as Rocky Mountain Power in Wyoming, Idaho and Utah.
Read more: http://www.wyofile.com/shift-wind-energy-alter-fortunes-wyomings-map/
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