PacifiCorp will keep lease on West Valley natural gas plant

PacifiCorp will retain for at least three years the lease of a 200-megawatt natural gas power plant in West Valley City.

According to the lease terms, PacifiCorp had the option to terminate or continue the lease or to purchase the project from the owner.

PacifiCorp leased the plant in July 2001 from a subsidiary of PPM Energy. Both PacifiCorp and PPM Energy are subsidiaries of ScottishPower. Under the terms of the lease, the West Valley plant has been operated by PacifiCorp, supplying peak demand electricity and system reliability support to PacifiCorp customers since summer 2002.

The decision to lease the West Valley plant was weighed against three other outside proposals received by PacifiCorp. After detailed analysis of these proposals, it was determined that retaining the lease of the West Valley plant for at least three years was the best option, according to a PacifiCorp statement.