North Central Washington Utilities Eye Geothermal Project as Power Shortfall Looms

Utility districts in North Central Washington, including Chelan, Douglas, and Grant PUDs, are considering a $22 million joint investment in geothermal energy research to address a projected regional power shortfall by 2030.

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The three public utility districts plan to equally fund geological surveys and underground heat studies in Central Washington, with commissioners set to review proposals and potentially seek permits from the Washington State Department of Natural Resources and Department of Ecology for data collection as early as this summer.

Why Washington Faces a 2030 Energy Shortfall

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A new study from Energy and Environmental Economics released this month shows that Washington and Oregon are at risk of a 5-gigawatt power shortfall by 2030.

“We’re all trying to find new ways of generating and storing energy to meet a regional challenge,” said Chelan PUD General Manager Kirk Hudson. “The benefit of collaboration is to share the risks, the costs, and use our collective knowledge and experience to explore this opportunity together. As public utilities, we’re in a unique position to work together and gain a shared understanding of the potential for geothermal energy.”

Why Geothermal Energy Matters for Reliability

The PUD said electricity demand continues to outpace supply, and utilities cannot add new energy generation and storage fast enough. Many planned additions include wind and solar energy, which are weather-dependent.

Geothermal energy is produced when hot water from the earth is brought to the surface, converted to steam, and run through a steam turbine. Geothermal is a baseload energy source, meaning it is reliable even on the coldest days.