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According to recent forecasts from the Northwest Power and Maintenance Council, energy demand in the Pacific Northwest could double over the next 20 years, not because of coffee makers and stereos, but because of an increase push to impress data centers, electric vehicles, and homes and businesses.
Even the way we consume electricity appears to be moving away from typical human behavior.
The region’s hunger for power will grow faster than expected forecasts, and can surge frequently as climate change worsens. At the same time, the addition of new power sources like the wind and the sun can sometimes slow down, further increasing the risk that the grid may loosen when it is most needed.
And more and more, Washington is itself. President Donald Trump has fired a large number of federal workers, questioned much-needed electrical projects and actively blocked renewable energy.
Council officials, the interstate agency representing Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington, met on a video call Tuesday afternoon to discuss the latest forecasts on how energy demand will increase over the next 20 years.
It is a difficult business to predict that into the future. Idaho councillor Jeff Allen praised the group for this effort.
“Fau,” Allen said. “I’ll take courage.”
However, it’s certainly true. The Pacific Northwest will need more electricity in the coming years.
The broad strokes mean that energy demand in the region could double as early as 2046, according to the council.
Data centers are the biggest immediate source of new energy demand, followed by the number of electric vehicles. That second group includes not only personal vehicles, but also delivery vehicles for businesses such as government fleets and Amazon and electrical school buses, said Steven Simmons, a predictive analyst for the council.
Although not as much as data centers and EVs, building electrification and hydrogen incoming production also increase energy demand.
The way we consume energy is also changing, Allen said he recalls a recent conversation with Idaho utility. Previously, energy use was acting like a human, rushing when people stand up and sleep in the mornings and tapering. More and more it behaves like a machine.
“It means that it’s always there,” Allen said.
The demand for the year is used to peak in winter months as well. But as global warming worsens, utilities are forced to confront new and growing summer peaks in demand, making the photos even more complicated. This trend also threatens hydropower, the region’s largest source of electricity.
In recent years, the Pacific Northwest has generally consumed about 22,000 megawatts of electricity per year, Simmons said.
For context, it’s sufficient to power in one megawatt About 800 houses One year.
However, by 2046, consumption could double to about 44,000 megawatts a year, reaching its seasonal peak at 60,000 megawatts.
As early as 2030, electricity supply could surpass these peaks, according to a report released last year by the Pacific Northwest Public Interest Council Committee.
“We have our hands full, and that’s certainly true,” said KC Golden, president of Washington’s Power Protection Council.
Adding new generations and transmissions takes time, effort and money. However, an additional benefit is reducing the use of fossil fuels, which exacerbates the global warming trend.
Golden should not ignore the ability of people, businesses and governments to curb energy use. Local energy staff have tools to influence how demand is met. Decades ago, electricity providers were able to ask major industries such as aluminum smelters to reduce their use when demand was too high. And the companies were paid for their cooperation.
“It’s true that putting together the data needed for cryptocurrency can create a shape,” Golden said.
The forecast for the last 20 years is likely to show a high-end approach to how demand will be formed, Simmons said. There will be more efficient upgrades and changes in how utilities affect the advancement of demand.
“We guarantee we’ll be taking part in some surprises over the next 20 years,” Simmons said.
