Natural Gas-Fired Power Projects Proliferate in West Coast States, Alaska

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Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--West Coast states and Alaska are seeing a surge in capital investments for natural gas-fired power generation.

Industrial Info is tracking 41 natural gas-fired capital projects in the West Coast and Alaska. The projects include unit additions, repower projects and plant expansions valued at more than $12 billion. California tops the list with 31 projects worth $9.23 billion, followed by Oregon, with five projects valued at $2.19 billion, and Alaska, with three projects valued at $407 million. The state of Washington has the remainder.

California saw 1,100 MW in natural gas-fired capacity additions in the first half of 2014.

In 2013, California accounted for 60% of the nation's natural gas capacity additions amid concerns over resource adequacy and power load, as well as power resources to compliment the generation of electricity from renewable sources.

California will lead the nation in non-hydropower renewable energy growth from 2012 through 2040, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2014 Annual Energy Outlook.

Meanwhile, Washington Governor Jay Inslee is pushing his state to become coal-free, although only 14% of its electrical generation comes from coal-fired plants. Inslee is seeking to persuade Pacific Power (a subsidiary of PacifiCorp (Portland, Oregon)), Puget Sound Energy (Bellevue, Washington) and Avista Corporation (NYSE:AVA) (Spokane, Washington) to reduce coal-fired electricity imported from power plants in Montana and Wyoming.

Industrial Info is tracking three natural gas projects in Alaska that are now under construction or in final commissioning. These include Anchorage Municipal Light and Power's $132 million, 120-MW George Sullivan combined-cycle expansion; the Matanuska Electric Association's (Palmer, Alaska) $250 million, 171-MW Eklutna Power Station; and TDX Power's (Anchorage, Alaska) 16-MW, $25 million North Slope combustion turbine addition project.

Alaska has an abundance of moving water and oil and gas. The state has one of the highest hydroelectric potentials in the nation, with hydro power supplying a fifth of the state's electricity requirements.

Industrial Info Resources (IIR), with global headquarters in Sugar Land, Texas, three offices in North America and 10 international offices, is the leading provider of global market intelligence specializing in the industrial process, heavy manufacturing and energy markets. Industrial Info's quality-assurance philosophy, the Living Forward Reporting Principle™, provides up-to-the-minute intelligence on what's happening now, while constantly keeping track of future opportunities.