Oregon public power utility Eugene Water & Electric Board and the University of Oregon are working together on a study that seeks to better understand if running UO’s on-site combined heat and power (CHP) generator during short periods of peak winter demand can support a cleaner, more reliable grid.
The study period began in January and will continue through the end of March. It gives EWEB the option to run the UO’s generator at times during this three-month window if certain conditions are met.
Specifically, the generator would operate only during supply-constrained peak conditions — when electricity demand is high and affordable renewable sources such as wind, solar, and hydropower are limited. Regional studies indicate that these types of conditions are becoming more likely, and in extreme cases could increase the risk of controlled outages, sometimes referred to as rolling blackouts.
So far in January and February, EWEB has not turned on the generator. Mild weather conditions have kept energy demand in check, and a wet early winter filled reservoirs across the Pacific Northwest, making renewable hydropower abundant.
Extending the study gives the agencies an extra month to evaluate the generator’s performance, greenhouse gas emissions, local air quality impacts, and financial implications, should late-season conditions require it. If March is also a mild month and the generator is not needed, then EWEB and the UO will consider extending the study next winter.
Read more for EWEB: EWEB and the UO extend energy generation study | EWEB