PORTLAND, Ore. – The Western Power Pool today welcomed its first 11 official participants in the Western Resource Adequacy Program (WRAP).

The following utilities have formally committed to moving forward with the WRAP:

• Avista Utilities
• Calpine Energy Solutions
• Chelan Public Utility District
• Clatskanie People’s Utility District
• Eugene Water & Electric Board
• PacifiCorp
• Portland General Electric
• Powerex Corp
• Puget Sound Energy
• Seattle City Light
• Tacoma Power

Western Power Pool expects similar commitments from additional participants by the middle of December. WPP recently filed its tariff to implement the WRAP with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and is currently working through the regulatory process to obtain the Commission’s approval.

“The critical next steps for the WRAP are securing the needed commitments from our participants and FERC approval of the tariff,” said Sarah Edmonds, WPP President and CEO. “The commitment of these 11 organizations puts us well on our way to accomplishing one of those steps. Addressing resource adequacy must be a region-wide collaboration, and we commend these first partners for their leadership and thank them for setting the tone for what’s to come.”

The WRAP allows participants from the entire footprint – from the Pacific Northwest to the desert Southwest – to share resources and benefit from the diversity of the region. It will help ensure resource adequacy and reliable electric service more efficiently, using fewer overall resources.

“Study after study shows there is an increasing risk of not having enough resources,” Edmonds said. “The WRAP addresses this in two ways. First, we establish consistent metrics for reliability across the region. All participants must show they have the required capacity to meet those metrics. Second, when things change from what was forecast, due to weather or other factors, we can pool our resources: a participant with a deficit can obtain resources from another with a surplus.”

About the WRAP: WPP is launching the WRAP, which is the first region-wide reliability planning and compliance program in the history of the West. With coordination and visibility across participants, the WRAP paints a more accurate, regional picture of resource needs and supply. It delivers a region-wide approach for assessing and addressing resource adequacy, taking advantage of operating efficiencies, diversity, and sharing of pooled resources. Utilities from the northwest, parts of the desert southwest, Canada and northern California are expected to be part of the WRAP’s overall footprint.

Media contact: For more information, contact Kevin Langbaum at kevin@kblcommunications.com.