Solar + Natural Gas

Power with Purpose

In 2019, OPPD’s Power with Purpose project identified the need for up to 600MW of utility-scale solar and 600MW of balancing natural gas generation to support growing customer demands. These combined resources were identified to:

• Provide critical "peak" summer capacity and energy when OPPD’s system experiences the highest demand.
• Provide power generation during winter’s less-sunny days and during extreme weather events — supporting resiliency and reliability.
• Provide needed generation diversity as our communities continue to grow and thrive.

The combined solution of utility-scale solar and natural gas continues to support our mission of providing affordable, reliable, environmentally sensitive energy services. While OPPD considers all three parts of our mission equally, the need for new utility-scale solar and balancing natural gas power generation is now a must-have to support continued reliability.

In 2023, the OPPD Board of Directors voted to approve the utility’s recommended near term generation resource plan to address unprecedented growth in energy demand. With this new plan, OPPD remains committed to its Power with Purpose generation expansion projects, which includes Turtle Creek Station (MW), Standing Bear Lake Station (150 MW), and Platteview Solar (81 MW).

Regulatory Obligations

OPPD is required to be able to generate 15% above our anticipated energy demand. This represents an increase from the previous requirement of 12%.This change has resulted in an even more urgent need for new natural gas and solar power generation. New utility-scale solar and natural gas will allow OPPD to meet Southwest Power Pool (SPP) obligations and solve the energy challenges our region is facing in a predictable way. It’s also important to note that the combined generation of both natural gas and utility-scale solar is needed.

To learn more about natural gas and solar generation or to read the Power with Purpose frequently asked questions, please click on the graphics below: