News Releases
Office of Governor Gary Locke
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - March 6, 2001
Contact:  Governor's Communications Office, 360-902-4136

Locke announces projects creating hundreds of megawatts of electricity

TACOMA - Gov. Gary Locke today announced a series of actions designed to bring hundreds of new megawatts of electricity to the Northwest while protecting its air quality.

While announcing new energy sources, the governor urged Washington residents to continue to conserve as much electricity and water as possible as a drought looms this spring and summer.

At today's news conference, the governor signed an agreement with Chehalis Power Limited that permits the company to build a 520-megawatt plant in Chehalis.

That is enough power to supply a city about half the size of Seattle.

He also announced:

BP-Amoco has reached an agreement in principle with the state Department of Ecology, federal Environmental Protection Agency and Northwest Air Pollution Authority to replace 26 diesel generators with 14 gas-operated turbines that will produce a tenth of the air pollution. In addition BP-Amoco has agreed to take other steps designed to reduce the region's air pollution. The agreement will create 47 new megawatts of electricity.

Spokane's Avista Corp. has reached agreement with the Spokane County Air Pollution Control Authority that allows it to increase electrical production by running 24 hours a day for the next three months. That will generate an additional 125,000 megawatt hours, or roughly enough to power 200,000 homes for that 90 days. In exchange, Avista is developing ways to reduce air pollution in the region.

Two other companies, Goldendale Energy and TransAlta, are building new plants that will generate a total of about 500 megawatts of new energy.

The Stateline Wind Project will power approximately 100,000 homes by the end of the year.
The governor emphasized the principle guiding his decisions approving new plants was that there can be no net harm to the state's air quality.

"Any increase in air pollution must be offset - pound per pound - over a period of time," Locke said.

The governor also said he has not yet received the state's Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council's recommendation that he deny approval for the Sumas Energy 2 plant.

Sumas Energy 2, the company seeking to build the plant near Bellingham, has asked EFSEC to reconsider its recommendation.

The governor has 60 days to review the final recommendation once it comes to him from EFSEC.

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