PRINEVILLE, OR -- Prineville officials continue to answer questions about electricity, after the Bonneville Power Administration announced it may not be able to generate enough power to accommodate future data centers or solar farms. City Manager Steve Forrester recently told the local Kiwanis Club that despite the concerns, companies are still considering building in the area. "We know we have Apple; we know we have Facebook. We believe that there are other big-named people that are very interested in our community. We’re not allowed to talk about it, and I really don’t know specific names, but what I can tell you is there’s other people actively interested in our community to invest here, besides the ones that we have here now: Apple and Facebook."
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BPA announced last month it's working on upgrades that would provide an additional 585 megawatts of electricity. But, Forrester says that may only last 5-8 years, if more than a couple new companies move in. "So, this 585 megawatts could go away very, very quickly. And what that leaves us with is - the updates that I spoke about that are going to come on line in the next couple of years to satisfy what’s already in the queue are going to be used up. Then, the BPA will have to be looking at constructing a new line between the Gorge and Prineville." He says that's why it's important the city and county remain in close talks with the utility, to "keep them aware of the interest level, and make sure that we’re a high-probability user of big blocks of electricity, going forward." Forrester says they also need to push for "an expedited review of getting started on building on what would be a fourth line between the Gorge, where the big power is, to our community."
Click HERE to watch City Manager Steve Forrester's full presentation.
