Electricity Shortage Sparks More Power Plants

SPOKANE, WA-The California energy crisis is not all bad news for small communities with the acreage, access to water and permit-friendly jurisdictions that allow and encourage new power plants. The company proposing a natural gas-fired plant near Pasco in Eastern Washington also plans to build a 1,300-megawatt facility on 80 acres near Rathdrum, a small Idaho town a few miles northeast of here.

Newport Northwest LLC, an affiliate of Newport Generation Inc., plans to joint venture with Cogentrix Energy and Avista Power to build the largest of three gas plants in the area. Avista already operates a 160-megawatt plant nearby while Cogentrix Energy plans to open a 270-watt plant in July.