U.S. West Coast Region Upgrading and Expanding Hydroelectric Generation Capabilities

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Researched by Industrialinfo.com (Industrial Information Resources, Incorporated; Houston, Texas). With green energy talk reaching a fevered pitch in some parts of the country, it is not surprising that the U.S. West Coast region, which includes the states of California, Oregon, and Washington, is one of the leading regions for green energy development. Hydroelectric power, with its established technology, makes for a desirable alternative to fossil fuels in areas where river levels are conducive. In recent years, drought conditions in some portions of the Pacific Northwest have led to low river levels, resulting in some hydroelectric plant shutdowns, adding to problems for consumers in the region, including increased electricity prices and power shortages.

But demand for reliable green energy sources is outstretching the possible risk associated with hydroelectric generation, spurring the next round of capital spending. Mainly led by federal, state, and municipal backed government entities, such as U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Sacramento Municipal Utilities District, and the Eugene Water & Electric Board, capital spending for hydroelectric power station development is forecast to reach $1.4 billion in the West Coast region.

Click on the image at right to view the West Coast Hydroelectric Projects Graph.

Currently, there are eighteen hydroelectric power projects, representing a total investment value (TIV) of almost $1.4 billion, scheduled to begin construction between now and 2008, in the West Coast region. The majority of this TIV can be attributed to two new large pump storage hydroelectric projects in California. Sacramento Municipal Utilities District is developing a 500 megawatt pumped storage project at Lake Elsinore, and is also developing another 400 megawatt pumped storage project at Pollock Pines, California.

Click on the link at right to view the West Coast Hydroelectric Power Projects - State Comparison Pie Chart.

The remainder of the money will be spent primarily on hydroelectric turbine replacement and overhaul at existing stations. One of the larger upgrade projects under development in the West Coast is the U.S. Army Corps of Engineer's plans to modernize fourteen existing 70 megawatt Kaplan S Morgan Smith turbines at the McNary Dam in Umatilla, Oregon.

For more information on the eighteen hydroelectric projects mentioned in this article, check out Industrialinfo.com's Power Tracker.