Thursday, January 29, 2015
Power Committee Webinar On Specific Generation Resources
1/29/15 from 10:00 am - 11:30 am
This is a WEBINAR, however space will be available at the Council’s Central office, 851 SW Sixth Avenue, Suite 1100, Portland, OR 97204, to participate in the meeting for those who wish to attend person.
Agenda:
- Assessment of Natural Gas Single Cycle and Reciprocating Engine Resources, GC, SS
- Assessment of Wind Resources, GC, SS
1. Please join my meeting.
https://global.gotomeeting.com/join/774067557
2. Join the conference call:
1.800.786.1922, Code: 53922423
Meeting ID: 774-067-557
Background:
Council staff will be presenting on the assessments of two generating resource technologies – natural gas peaking plants (single cycle combustion turbines (SCCT) and reciprocating engines) and onshore utility-scale wind.
The assessments include proposed reference plants for each of the technologies to be used for the draft Seventh Power Plan. The work represents the culmination of staff analysis coupled with guidance from the Council’s Generating Resources Advisory Committee (GRAC) over the past year. Staff will share results of estimates for key plant parameters, including:
- Overnight capital cost - $/kW
- Operations and Maintenance Cost - $/kW-yr
- Fixed levelized costs and full levelized cost of energy - $/MWh
The role of natural gas peaking plants in the region has evolved since the first Beaver units were installed in the early 1970s. Originally intended to help shape hydropower, frame units were the most common technology used. Beginning in the early 2000s, the purpose of peaking plants evolved as variable energy resources (e.g. wind) became a more prominent component of the power system. Aeroderivative technologies became more popular among installations due to their increased flexibility over the less efficient frame units. While there are not currently any installed in the Pacific Northwest, intercooled technologies (a hybrid between a frame unit and an aeroderivative) have dominated new installations in California and WECC. The latest gas peaker to make its mark is the reciprocating engine, a modular peaking unit with high flexibility and efficiency. Portland General Electric just commissioned Port Westward II in December 2014, the first reciprocating engine in the region. Staff will discuss the various gas peaking technologies and their key parameters as part of the analysis for the draft Seventh Power Plan.
Over the past decade, wind development has been booming with over 7,500 megawatts of new wind capacity installed in the Pacific Northwest since the year 2000. The Regional Portfolio Standards (RPS) enacted by Washington, Oregon, and Montana (and others such as California) have spurred much of this development, along with a maturing industry and decreasing capital and O&M costs making the resource more competitive with traditional resources. As the states have largely fulfilled their near-term RPS requirements, there has been a significant drop off in wind development in the region since 2012. The largest project since then has been Portland General Electric’s ~270 MW Tucannon River Wind Farm, commissioned in late 2014. Another factor in development has been the uncertainty of the Federal Production Tax Credit (PTC), which has been allowed to expire and then be renewed several times over the past twenty years. After expiring at the end of 2013, the PTC was renewed through 2014 – although that renewal came through in mid-December, leaving only two weeks for developers to meet the specified requirements. Wind is a clear resource contender in the region, both now and in the future. Staff will be discussing the latest trends, costs, PNW potential, and reference plants for the draft Seventh Power Plan.