WERC can help meet the region's growing electricity needs with a clean source of thermal power. We are excited to be delivering an energy technology the public wants - one that meets the stringent greenhouse gas performance standards recently adopted by the State of Washington.
-- Robert Divers, CEO, United Power Company

The leading environmental challenge of our time is global climate change. There is clear scientific consensus that the dramatic build up of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere has accelerated unprecedented climate change.

Click here for an introduction to the challenge of global climate change. (See "Rising CO₂ Levels" video)

The energy sector is a leading source of CO₂ emissions and, with government direction and support, the energy sector - equipment manufacturers, engineering firms, utilities and independent power producers - are responding to the public demand for reduced greenhouse gas emissions.

The Wallula Energy Resource Center (WERC) will showcase "cutting edge" technology that delivers on society's new expectations. WERC will gasify coal instead of burning it capturing the majority of the coal's CO₂ in the gasification process. WERC will burn the synthetic gas it produces in a highly efficient combined cycle power plant generating approximately 600 megawatts of electricity for distribution to regional utilities. WERC plans to close the loop by permanently sequestering the CO₂ in basalt formations 1.3 miles below the site.

Northwest utilities need baseload electric power facilities capable of meeting new stringent CO₂ emission standards. The Northwest Power & Conservation Council in its 5^th Power Plan identified utilities' future needs. Meanwhile, the attached survey of several recent northwest utility integrated resource plans (IRPs) confirms the region's growing need for power. (PDF)