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Press Release:
PGE PROPOSES ONE OF THE LARGEST WIND SITES IN THE NATION
Gov. Ted Kulongoski applauds PGE’s
efforts for more wind energy
Portland, Ore. — Portland General Electric (NYSE:
POR) today announced it has executed an agreement with Orion Energy, LLC
to acquire the development rights for the 25,000-acre Biglow Canyon Wind
Farm in Sherman County, Ore. The Oregon Public Utility Commission (OPUC)
is currently reviewing the agreement and is expected to announce its recommendation
in the next several weeks. If the agreement is approved by the OPUC, Portland
General Electric (PGE) could develop
between 350 and 450 megawatts (MW) of wind energy capacity at the site,
which could produce enough electricity to power 100,000 homes. It would
be one of the largest wind power projects in the nation. “Oregon
must lead by example in its production of energy, and I applaud PGE for
taking steps in helping get more wind power in our state’s energy
mix,” said Oregon Gov. Ted Kulongoski. “This is the kind of
project that will help achieve my goals of meeting 25 percent of the state’s
electricity through renewable energy sources by 2025 and 100 percent renewable
energy in state government by 2010.”
PGE officials said the agreement fits well with what customers want and
with the company’s goal to minimize energy price volatility by reducing
exposure to fuel costs. “If we get approval to acquire these development
rights, we will be taking a significant step toward positioning ourselves
to further shift our supply portfolio away from more volatile fuel sources,”
said Jim Lobdell, PGE vice president of power operations and resource
strategy. “This site holds a lot of promise, but it is important
to note that the construction planning is at an early stage. If the economics
of developing the project continue to pencil out, our plan is to develop
the site in phases over time, not all at
once.”
The proposed acquisition of the development rights would enable PGE to
hold wind easements from more than 23 private landowners in Sherman County
for a term of 30 years or more. Orion Energy worked with local representatives
of these landowners, collectively known as Praise the Wind, Inc., to develop
and execute the wind easements. The land is currently used as farm and
pasture land and willlargely stay that way given the small footprint of
modern wind projects.
Orion Energy is the developer of Biglow Canyon and is working with the
Oregon Department of Energy’s Energy Facility Siting Council to
obtain a site certificate for the project. Orion Energy also has been
working closely with Sherman County throughout the development process
to ensure the project meets local needs. Additionally, the Bonneville
Power Administration (BPA) will provide engineering and construction expertise
to develop the transmission infrastructure and connect the project into
the region’s grid.
“This certainly is a project with true cooperation at its core,”
Lobdell said. “Sherman County landowners and Orion Energy, in addition
to BPA, did a tremendous job bringing the project agreement together and
helping shape it to meet our needs. These landowners and organizations
will be instrumental in helping us move the project forward, if it is
approved and deemed feasible.”
“We are very pleased to be working with PGE and Sherman County to
bring additional supplies of clean, renewable energy to Oregon,”
said Reid Buckley, Orion Energy vice president for development.
“We value PGE’s strong commitment and leadership in renewable
energy and look forward to continuing to work with them.” Turbines
needed to make project a reality PGE proposes to construct the wind farm
in three phases during a five-year timeframe. In its first phase, PGE
would install enough wind turbines at the site to produce about 126 MW
of capacity, which could power up to 32,000 homes. Depending on the availability
of turbines and other factors such as regulatory approval, phase one could
be completed as early as the end of 2007.
“One of the challenges for any organization developing a new wind
project today is finding a source of quality wind turbines that are competitively
priced and available when needed,” Lobdell said. “We want
turbine manufacturers to know that if they have a product that meets those
broad parameters, we would be very interested in having discussions.”
This first phase would help PGE fulfill its 200 MW (65 average MW) wind
power target from the company’s most recent Integrated Resource
Plan. Under that plan’s resource strategies, PGE customers already
receive all 75 MW of wind capacity from PPM Energy’s Klondike II
wind farm in Sherman County through a 30-year agreement that began last
fall.
PGE also is active in securing an extension to the federal production
tax credit (PTC), which helps renewable power producers reduce the price
of their power offerings so they are more competitive with the pricing
of traditional energy sources on the market. Lobdell said the PTC will
be a critical component in the development of the Biglow Canyon project.
PGE currently is first in the nation for residential renewable energy
sales through its retail signup program, which gives customers the opportunity
to have more renewable energy delivered to the electrical grid than what
is provided from the standard mix. At the end of 2005, a total of 40,579
PGE residential and commercial customers participated in one of the company’s
three retail renewable power options, a 21 percent increase throughout
the year and an eight-fold increase since 2001.
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About Portland General Electric Company
Portland General Electric, headquartered in Portland, Ore., is a fully
integrated electric utility that serves more than 780,000 residential,
commercial and industrial customers in Oregon. Visit our Web site at PortlandGeneral.com
About Orion Energy, LLC
Orion Energy, LLC, headquartered in Oakland, Calif.,
is a leading wind energy company with world-class expertise in the development,
finance, construction and operation of wind power projects throughout
the United States. Visit their Web site at Orion-Energy.com.
Safe Harbor Statement
Statements in this news release that relate to future plans, objectives,
expectations, performance, events and the like may constitute “forward-looking
statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation
Reform Act of 1995, Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended,
and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Forward-looking
statements may be identified by words including, but not limited to, “anticipates,” “believes,” “intends,” “estimates,” “promises,” “expects,” “should,” “conditioned
upon” and similar expressions. Investors are cautioned that any
such forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties,
including matters and events related to extension of the federal production
tax credit; investigations by the City of Portland, Oregon, with regard
to rates charged by the Company and possible attempts to set rates for
PGE customers located within the city; approvals of the Oregon Public
Utility Commission; obtaining the necessary site certificate, the cost
and timing of the purchase of wind turbines. As a result, the outcome
of various legal and regulatory proceedings may differ materially from
those projected in the forward-looking statements. All forward-looking
statements included in this news release are based on
information available to the Company on the date hereof and such statements
speak only as the date hereof. The Company assumes no obligation to update
any such forward-looking statement. Prospective investors should also
review the risks and uncertainties listed in the Company’s most
recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and the Company’s reports on Forms
8-K and 10-Q filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission,
including Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition
and Results of Operations and the risks described therein from time to
time.

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