On Oct. 15, 2020, Boardman Coal Plant ceased operations. The closure fulfilled a groundbreaking agreement PGE reached with stakeholders, customer groups and regulators in 2010 to significantly reduce air emissions from power production in Oregon by ending operations at Boardman 20 years ahead of schedule and transitioning to cleaner energy resources. During the transition period, PGE worked closely with employees, and the local community, to support them through the process, providing benefits that included a comprehensive retention and severance packages, education, and job training, and help with placement at other PGE facilities or in new careers.
On Sept. 15, 2022, the stack and boiler were demolished.
Boardman Coal Plant
Boardman Coal Plant closed
1980 - 2020
Construction began on Unit 1 in January 2005 and went into commercial operation in June 2007. It supplies the utility’s “base” electrical demand and runs continually.
Port Westward is powered by a G1-class natural gas–fired combustion turbine and boasts of a combined-cycle efficiency that is among the highest of any plant in the U.S. The plant’s heat rate of 6,700 Btu/kWh considers all plant loads and transformer losses.
Construction began on Unit 2 in May 2013 and went into service on Dec. 30, 2014. It only operates during times of peak power demand or when wind energy projects are becalmed. It gives PGE flexibility to include renewable, but unpredictable, energy sources such as wind and solar into its energy mix. The plant comprises 12 reciprocating engines designed to be efficient, flexible, and responsive. The 25,000-horsepower 50SG engines are the first of their size in the country to run entirely on natural gas. Port Westward Unit 2’s advanced technology and unique configuration allows PGE to ramp up the plant to full load in less than 10 minutes and to adjust quickly when renewable energy, like wind and solar, rise and fall.
Port Westward
Post Westward
2007 - Present
History of PGE
Electrifying Oregon
Powering Progress
A Thoughtful Transition
History of PGE
Electrifying Oregon
Powering Progress
A Thoughtful Transition
History of PGE
Electrifying Oregon
Powering Progress
A Thoughtful Transition
Forever Evolving
Powering the Future
A Thoughtful Transition
Clackamas Project Expansion
Building Reliable Power Plants
Powering Progress
Willamette Falls
Clackamas River Construction
Electrifying Oregon
History of PGE
