Eugene Water and Electric Board

Eight years ago the Eugene Water and Electric Board (EWEB) took a big leap forward. They became the first public utility in Oregon to build and own a wind farm. In partnership with PacifiCorp they developed Foote Creek Rim in southeastern Wyoming. Today, EWEB receives enough energy to power about 1,200 homes annually or approximately 20 percent of Foote Creek Rim’s output.

EWEB obtains their wind produced electricity just about one week after it’s generated at Foote Creek Rim. PacifiCorp integrates wind into their Wyoming grid system and delivers it to EWEB at their interconnection in Eugene. “The system works great because we know how much power we are getting and we don’t have to deal with the variability in our power system,” said Dick Varner EWEB’s Power Management and Planning Manager. EWEB pays PacifiCorp to handle wind integration and the variability associated with wind power.

“We were always interested in getting new renewable resources,” Varner said. “Our utility’s Integrated Electric Resource Plan and its environmental ethic called for more renewables.”