Pacific Power continues to pursue cleaner energy as it moves forward in providing “smarter” and more affordable energy for its 750,000 customers, according to a recent report released by Pacific Power and their parent company PacifiCorp.

Pacific Power reports that their more integrated usage of production has reduced its greenhouse gas emissions by 12 percent for 2016 versus the previous five-year average. That comes out to 6 million tons of carbon dioxide, the equivalent of taking over 1.1 million passenger vehicles off the road for a year.

Making the grid more flexible in using available renewable generation also reduced energy costs for Pacific Power customers, by nearly $50 million for the year, the company reported.

The amount of renewable energy capacity connected to the parent company PacifiCorp grid increased 41 percent last year. The 2,960 megawatts of solar and wind energy generation capacity now serving customers represents 29 percent of customers’ peak energy demand and represents an important milestone towards more zero-emission generation.

PacifiCorp provides electric service to 1.8 million customers in six western states. Operating as Pacific Power in Oregon, Washington and California and as Rocky Mountain Power in Utah, Wyoming and Idaho.

In 2016, nearly one-third of all PacifiCorp’s electric generation capacity was from zero-emitting plants.

On April 4, the company announced a long-term energy plan that includes investing $3.5 billion in expansion, including repowering existing wind power, adding 3,000 MW of new wind and solar. Long-term projects also include building 1,100 megawatts of new wind projects, primarily in Wyoming, by the end of 2020; adding another 859 megawatts of new wind capacity (85 megawatts in Wyoming and 774 megawatts in Idaho) between 2028 and 2036, and building 1,040 megawatts of new solar capacity between 2028 and 2036. The plan incorporates the

company’s environmental compliance obligations for its coal-fired plants.