Power Resources
Franklin PUD’s Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) is a utility plan for meeting forecasted power resource needs over a 20-year period. Resource needs can be met through a combination of power generating facilities and conservation. This planning process is intended to locate the lowest practical costs at which the District can deliver reliable energy services to its customers. The plan is updated every two years to account for changes in costs, resource availability and regulations.
View our Integrated Resource Plan
Power resources used to serve our customers include:
Bonneville Power Administration (BPA)
Franklin PUD buys most of its power from Bonneville Power Administration (BPA). Depending upon hydroelectric generating conditions and market prices, we expect to procure between 85% and 90% of our total energy resources from BPA. BPA is required by federal law to recover all of its costs through the rates it charges its customers.
Beginning October 1, 2011, Bonneville changed its rate-making methodology to a “tiered rate” approach. Each public utility is a “preference” customer and has the right to buy power at Tier 1 rates from BPA. The Tier 1 rate is based on the low-cost hydropower of the existing Federal Columbia River Power System (FCRPS), which includes hydropower projects on the Columbia-Snake River System, the Columbia Generating Station north of Richland, and other small renewable and contract purchases.
If preference customers, like Franklin PUD, want to buy more BPA power beyond their allocated amount, it will be purchased at a Tier 2 rate set to fully recover BPA’s cost of securing additional resources, normally higher priced than the Tier 1 rate.
Nine Canyon Wind Project
Nine Canyon is located in the Horse Heaven Hills south of Kennewick and is owned by Energy Northwest. The project is comprised of forty-nine 1.3-MW turbines and fourteen 2.3-MW turbines with a total generating capacity of 96 MW. Franklin PUD contracts for the output of 10MW of capacity from this project. Based on a 30% capacity factor, the projected annual energy output is estimated to be 3.0 average MW (aMW).
White Creek Wind Project
In 2007, Franklin PUD contracted for the output of 10 MW of capacity in the White Creek Wind Project, located in the Columbia River Gorge approximately 21 miles east of Goldendale in Klickitat County, Washington. The project is comprised of 89 2.3-MW wind turbines with a capacity of 205 MW. Based on a 33% capacity factor, the projected annual energy output is estimated to be 3.3 aMW.
Frederickson Generation Project
In 2001, Franklin PUD entered into an agreement with Frederickson Power for the purchase of 30 MW of generating capacity from their combined-cycle natural gas-fired combustion turbine project station near Tacoma, Washington. Depending on the price of gas each day, Franklin PUD can use the power based on market power and gas prices.
Esquatzel Canal Hydroelectric Project
In 2011, Franklin PUD entered into a Power and Environmental Attributes Purchase Agreement with Green Energy Today, LLC for the Esquatzel Canal Hydroelectric Project, located at the confluence of the South Columbia Basin Irrigation District’s Esquatzel Diversion Canal and the Columbia River five miles north of Pasco. Esquatzel is an irrigation canal project with 1-MW of capacity. It generates power year-round – producing roughly 0.7 aMW, or 6,000 MWh of power annually.
Packwood Lake Hydroelectric Project
Also owned by Energy Northwest, this small hydro project located in the Cascade Mountains south of Mount Rainier, was constructed in 1962, and has 27-MW of generating capacity. Franklin PUD contracts for 10.5% of the output from Packwood, which averages approximatley 1.1 aMW annually. Eleven other Washington PUD's contract for varying shares of the remaining 89.5%. Packwood's fifty-year license has expired. Energy Northwest has satisfied all the requirements for relicensing with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and is waiting for final issuance of the license.