CASPER, Wyo. — The United States Department of Energy has made a large renewable energy purchase from Rocky Mountain Power for its Rocky Mountain Oilfield Testing Center at the Teapot Dome Naval Petroleum Reserve #3.

The testing center is buying 1,105 blocks of 100-kilowatt Blue Sky wind energy each month. According to Doug Tunison, technical services manager at the Rocky Mountain Oilfield Testing Center, the purchase is a good first step toward developing its own clean energy resources.

“We’re developing and demonstrating best practices for the oil and gas industries, including integrating fossil-fuel and renewable technologies,” Tunison said. “Teapot Dome may have a lot of potential for wind and geothermal development, and we plan to install wind turbines ourselves. But that is going to take some time; so buying Blue Sky is a good interim step.”

Blue Sky is a way customers can help bring more renewable energy into the region. Renewable energy, which is generated from wind, biomass, solar and geothermal, helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Over the course of a year, the testing center’s Blue Sky purchase will reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 1,326 tons, which has the same environmental benefit of planting 521 acres of trees or not driving more than 2.8 million miles.

 “By participating in Blue Sky, the testing center is helping bring additional clean resources on-line, in addition to the renewable purchases we make for our customers,” said Richard Walje, president of Rocky Mountain Power. “Plus, wind power generation is a growing industry. Beyond its environmental benefits, wind energy is creating new jobs and contributing to local tax bases.”
 
Rocky Mountain Power’s Blue Sky comes from western wind farms, including two in Wyoming: the Foote Creek IV Wind Energy Project near Arlington and Pleasant Valley Wind Energy near Evanston, which is located on ranch land used for cattle grazing.

Buying just one, 100 kilowatt-hour increment of Blue Sky costs only $1.95 per month in addition to a customer’s regular bill. The Oilfield Testing Center is making its purchase through Rocky Mountain Power’s Blue Sky Quantity Savings program, which allows large wind energy purchases (at least 101 blocks per month for a year) at a reduced cost.

The Rocky Mountain Oilfield Testing Center is the only oil field testing center in the United States. Using the resources from the Naval Petroleum Reserve, it identifies and resolves technical and environmental issues associated with the production, distribution and use of domestic energy resources.

For more information or to sign up for Blue Sky, call 800-842-8458 or e-mail
bluesky@pacificorp.com . Customers can sign up online at 
www.rockymtnpower.net/bluesky .

Photo info: Presentation of a "Visionary Level" Blue Sky participant award to Rocky Mountain Oilfield Testing Center from Rocky Mountain Power. Pictured left to right are: Doug Tunison, RMOTC technical services manager; Rod Taylor, Rocky Mountain Power corporate account manager; and Cecil Foote, RMOTC field operations manager.

Media inquiries: newsdesk@pacificorp.com