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Blue Sky renewable energy from Pacific Power
As part of our commitment to customers and the environment we offer a 100 percent renewable energy option. For as little as
$1.95 extra per month you can buy renewable energy and make a positive impact on the environment and the community. Your participation
helps encourage the development of clean energy sources and brings economic benefits to our region.
Buying renewable energy helps keep our region clean for future generations
When you buy Blue Sky, you help:
- influence the future of energy production
- lower our dependence on fossil fuels, so our energy supply becomes more self-sufficient
- encourage the development of new renewable energy in our region, which benefits localeconomies
- reduce air pollution
- preserve the environment and conserve resources for future generations
How does the Blue Sky program work?
With Blue Sky, customers purchase clean, wind energy in 100 kilowatt-hour (kwh) increments, called blocks, for just $1.95
more per block per month.
When you enroll in Blue Sky, Pacific Power buys renewable energy on your behalf equal to your Blue Sky purchase and helps
develop small-scale renewable projects in the communities we serve.
You can buy as many blocks as you’d like. Thirteen blocks per month covers 100 percent of an average Washington home’s electricity
use.
Creating real benefits now and for the future
Buying one 100 kwh block of Blue Sky each month for a year is as good for the environment as planting nearly one-half acre
of trees or not driving a car 2,500 miles.*
Renewable energy is a clean and reliable resource. No changes to your home or electric meter are required to participate in
the program. Every individual who signs up for Blue Sky helps makes a difference and moves us all closer to a cleaner, more
self-sufficient energy future.
Why does renewable energy cost more?
Our prices are regulated to provide you the lowest-cost electricity. With Blue Sky, you can buy more renewable energy than
what is currently offered through basic electric service. The amount you pay goes to buy renewable energy and to cover the
costs of the program. Pacific Power does not profit from offering you this option.
Where is the renewable energy for the Blue Sky program generated?
Today, energy dedicated to Blue Sky has been purchased from the Nine Canyon, Stateline, Klondike and Condon facilities in
Oregon and Washington. Wind energy generated from the Foote Creek IV facility near Arlington, Wyo. and the Pleasant Valley
wind farm near Evanston, Wyo. has also been purchased on behalf of Blue Sky customers. As demand for renewable energy grows,
we will make purchases from other new facilities in the region. Click here for a
fact sheet (pdf)
about the renewable energy facilities.
How do I know I’m getting what I pay for?
Blue Sky is overseen by state regulatory commissions, which require us to provide a detailed accounting of renewable energy
purchases and program expenses. Pacific Power also works with a number of public interest groups that monitor the performance
of the program.
Rest assured that, while the electricity our customers use doesn’t flow from a specific facility directly to residents’ homes,
each customer’s renewable energy purchase is matched annually with renewable energy.
When you participate in Blue Sky, the additional charge will be included on your monthly bill (in addition to your regular
energy charges). Your payments will go to buy wind power from new wind farms in the region.
Help create a cleaner energy future
Your participation is Blue Sky is voluntary. If you sign up for Blue Sky Block and move within Pacific Power’s service area,
you will automatically continue with the Block program. If you’d like to cancel your enrollment for any reason you can do
so by calling us at 1-800-769-3717.
Other information on renewable energy generation
Separate from Blue Sky, we also offer customers a
net metering option. This is for customers interested in generating all or a portion of their electricity needs from small-scale solar,
wind or other renewable generating equipment. We also offer more information on photovoltaics (solar energy).
Pacific Power's commitment to renewable energy
As a company, we also generate and purchase renewable power for all our customers as part of our resource mix. Today, we generate
or purchase power from four renewable energy facilities in Wyoming, Oregon, Idaho and Utah. Learn more about
Pacific Power's environmental commitment.
Our future plans include adding even more renewable energy to the power system. Our
Integrated Resource Plan calls for adding 1,400 megawatts of renewable energy to the power system in the next 10 years. This is enough energy to power
409,000 homes.
* Pacific Power purchases the exclusive right to claim all of the benefits of electricity produced by renewable energy power
plants in the exact amount of Blue Sky purchases projected over a 12-month period. The environmental benefit figures listed
on the Web site are calculated using that 12-month period and the annual average of the environmental effects of the company’s
owned or controlled electric system generation resources as of 2006.These effects are determined by continuous emissions monitoring
of company facilities, and data provided by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and other sources. The average may change
as the company acquires or changes its system generation resources. Some of the funds from your Blue Sky Block purchase may
support the construction of new renewable resources in the region, such as solar panels on community facilities that add more
renewable energy to the system and help Blue Sky customers make an even bigger difference. Participation in the Blue Sky program
is optional, and you may change or cancel your enrollment at any time. Credit criteria apply to enrollments and customers
can only be enrolled in one option at a time.
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