Cowlitz PUD buys over 90 percent of its wholesale power from Bonneville Power Administration. The majority of the BPA-marketed power comes from the Columbia River system hydroelectric projects. BPA also sells the output of the Columbia Generating System (nuclear plant) near Richland, WA, and makes other energy purchases on the open market, which includes some resources other than hydro.

Cowlitz PUD owns the 70 megawatt Swift No. 2 Hydroelectric Project located on the North Fork Lewis River in the southeast corner of Cowlitz County. Swift No. 2 provides 10-15% of the PUD’s non-industrial wholesale power needs.

The remainder of our power need is met by purchases made from the mid-Columbia hydro projects owned by Grant PUD and wind generation at the Nine Canyon project near Kennewick.

Cowlitz PUD has contractual rights to 46 percent of the electricity produced at the White Creek Wind Project , a 205 MW project that began operation in late 2007 in Klickitat County, WA. The PUD is selling its share of White Creek electric output to other utilities until 2012, which is the first year that we expect to need that power to meet load growth and the new State of Washington renewable resource requirements that go into effect that year.

Cowlitz County PUD's Fuel Mix

Cowlitz County PUD’s 2008 Integrated Resource Plan (IRP).