PacifiCorp
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Electric utility |
| Founded | 1910 |
| Headquarters | Portland , United States |
Area served | Western United States |
| Products | Electricity generation and distribution |
| Parent | Berkshire Hathaway Energy |
PacifiCorp is an electric utility company based in the Lloyd Center Tower in Portland, Oregon, providing services throughout the western United States.
The company consists of two regulated utility segments: Pacific Power, which operates from Portland and serves Oregon, northern California, and southeastern Washington; and Rocky Mountain Power, headquartered in Salt Lake City, serving Utah, Wyoming, and southeastern Idaho. PacifiCorp manages one of the largest privately owned transmission networks in the U.S., integrated within the western Energy Imbalance Market.
Combined, Pacific Power and Rocky Mountain Power supply electricity to more than 1.8 million customers. This includes upwards of 1.6 million residential users, approximately 202,000 commercial accounts, and around 37,000 industrial and irrigation customers across their service territories. The company owns and operates roughly of transmission lines, distribution lines, and about 900 substations.
PacifiCorp’s generation portfolio comprises 68 power plants with a total output capacity of 9,140 megawatts. The energy mix is predominantly thermal—70.6% derived from coal and natural gas—with hydroelectric resources accounting for 6.7%, renewables at 0.2%, and the remaining 22.5% acquired through external suppliers or contracts.
Looking ahead, PacifiCorp intends to retire most of its 22 coal-fired power plants by the year 2040, retaining only three facilities beyond that timeframe. The company has set a goal to generate 56% of its annual electricity consumption from renewable energy sources by 2040.
History
The origins of Pacific Power & Light trace back to 1910 when several financially troubled utilities in Oregon and Washington merged to establish the Pacific Power & Light Company. It expanded its operations to cover most of Oregon as well as parts of California, Washington, and Wyoming. In 1984, it restructured into a holding company named PacifiCorp based in Portland, with Pacific Power as its principal subsidiary.
Utah Power and Light (UP&L) was created on September 6, 1912, through the consolidation of four electric companies spanning Utah, Idaho, and Wyoming. As a Salt Lake City-based subsidiary of the Electric Bond and Share Company (EBASCO), UP&L rapidly acquired over one hundred thirty firms within the region.
In 1954, Pacific Power & Light merged with Mountain States Power Company, effectively doubling its service area. Later in 1961, it expanded further by acquiring California Oregon Power Company, extending its coverage into southern Oregon and northern California.
In 1977, PacifiCorp divested its coal mining operations by spinning off NERCO into a publicly traded entity that eventually ranked as high as 353 on the Fortune 500 list. Through NERCO, PacifiCorp was involved in extracting coal, oil, natural gas, gold, silver, and uranium. The company maintained an 82% ownership stake until NERCO was acquired by Rio Tinto Group in 1993.
In August 1987, PacifiCorp reached an agreement to purchase Utah Power & Light; this merger was completed in January 1989.
PacifiCorp was bought by Scottish Power in 2001 for $7.8 billion. Subsequently, Berkshire Hathaway Energy acquired PacifiCorp in 2006 for $5.1 billion in cash.
Following a reorganization in July 2006, Pacific Power’s operations in central and eastern Wyoming were combined with Utah Power to create Rocky Mountain Power.
Generation assets
PacifiCorp's total generation capacity amounts to 10,556 MW, comprised of approximately 56% coal, 24% natural gas, 10% hydroelectric power, and 10% from renewable sources.
Thermal generation (Fossil fuels)
| Facility Name | Location | Fuel Type | Net Capacity (MW) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jim Bridger (partial ownership) | Point of Rocks, Wyoming | Coal | 1,413.4 |
| Hunter | Castle Dale, Utah | Coal | 1,112.4 |
| Huntington | Huntington, Utah | Coal | 895.0 |
| Dave Johnston | Wyoming | Coal | 762.0 |
| Naughton | Kemmerer, Wyoming | Coal | 357.0 |
| Naughton | Kemmerer, Wyoming | Natural Gas | 247.0 |
| Lake Side | Lindon, Utah | Natural Gas | 1,203.0 |
| Currant Creek | Mona, Utah | Natural Gas | 540.0 |
| Hermiston | Hermiston, Oregon | Natural Gas | 540.0 |
| Chehalis | Chehalis, Washington | Natural Gas | 540.0 |
| Joseph City, Arizona | Coal | 0 | |
| Gadsby | Salt Lake City, Utah | Natural Gas | 355.0 |
| Wyodak | Wyoming | Coal | 268.0 |
| Craig (partial ownership) | Craig, Colorado | Coal | 165.0 |
| Colstrip (partial ownership) | Colstrip, Montana | Coal | 148.0 |
| Hayden (partial ownership) | Colorado | Coal | 78.1 |
The coal-fired plants contribute roughly 5,579 MW to the portfolio, while natural gas facilities provide around 3,265 MW; combined thermal generation capacity stands at about 8,844 MW.
Hydroelectric power
| Facility | Net Capacity (MW) |
|---|
Leading hydroelectric capacity is provided by Lewis River at 578 MW, followed by North Umpqua with 200 MW, Klamath River at 164 MW, Bear River contributing 104 MW, Prospect with 36 MW, and an additional thirty smaller projects that together add up to 78 MW. Total hydroelectric capacity is approximately 1,160 MW.
Renewable energy
| Facility | Type | Net Capacity (MW) |
|---|
Wind power constitutes the majority of renewable capacity exceeding 2,200 MW across multiple locations such as Leaning Juniper I (100.5 MW), Marengo I and II combined (234 MW), Glenrock (138 MW), Cedar Springs II (200 MW), Ekola Flats (251 MW), and TB Flats I & II totaling 500 MW. Additionally, the Blundell geothermal plant contributes 33 MW and solar installations add about 2 MW. Overall renewable generation capacity is near 2,245 MW.
Coal mining operations
To ensure steady fuel supply for its plants, PacifiCorp manages captive coal mines including partial ownership of the Jim Bridger Mine in Wyoming and the Trapper Mine in Colorado. The Dave Johnston Mine is currently undergoing final reclamation efforts. The Deer Creek Mine near the Huntington facility in Utah ceased operations in 2015.
Electric vehicle initiatives
In a 2018 report by the Portland Business Journal, PacifiCorp's electric vehicle promotion program was recognized as marking a "new era of utility involvement in transportation electrification." Originating from a legislative mandate in 2016 aimed at increasing renewable energy use, this initiative encompasses the deployment of new EV charging infrastructure alongside public outreach and educational campaigns.
Customer base
As recorded on May 1, 2007, Rocky Mountain Power provided service to roughly 758,000 customers in Utah, about 129,000 in Idaho, and approximately 67,000 in Wyoming.
Net metering policy
In November 2017, Rocky Mountain Power reached an agreement with Utah regulatory authorities to discontinue traditional net metering—which compensated residential solar customers at retail rates for surplus electricity generated. Following this change by August 2018, new rooftop solar installations dropped by nearly 23%, likely reflecting the policy shift. Under a transitional framework extending through 2033, new solar customers receive compensation slightly below retail rates; meanwhile, existing customers remain grandfathered at previous rates until the year 2035.
Pacific Power
Pacific Power provides electric service to regions within Washington, Oregon, and California. Notable cities covered include:
- California
- Oregon
- Albany
- Astoria
- Bend
- Coos Bay
- Corvallis
- Dallas
- Grants Pass
- Hermiston
- Hood River
- Independence
- Junction City
- Klamath Falls
- Lebanon
- Lincoln City
- Medford
- North Bend
- Pendleton
- Portland (serves portions of downtown, as well as northern and eastern areas; the rest is covered by Portland General Electric)
- Prineville
- Redmond
- Roseburg
- Stayton
- Sweet Home
- Washington
By the end of 2009, Pacific Power's customer base comprised 555,070 in Oregon, 126,665 in Washington, and 45,148 in California.
Rocky Mountain Power
Rocky Mountain Power delivers electricity across Idaho, Utah, and Wyoming.
Principal urban centers served include:
Idaho
Ammon, Lava Hot Springs, Malad City, Montpelier, Preston, Rigby, Rexburg, Saint Anthony, Shelley
Utah
Covers most major cities except Bountiful, Kaysville, Lehi, Logan, Provo, Murray, Monroe, Monticello, Springville, and St. George
Wyoming
Buffalo, Casper, Cody, Douglas, Evanston, Green River, Kemmerer, Lander, Laramie, Rawlins, Riverton, Rock Springs, Thermopolis
Legal issues
In 2023, a jury mandated PacifiCorp to pay $70 million in punitive damages to 17 homeowners impacted by the Oregon wildfires of 2020. As of August 2024, PacifiCorp reported exposure to claims totaling at least $46 billion stemming from four class action lawsuits connected to those wildfires.