Avista Selects Projects for New Energy and Capacity Resources along with Demand Response
Energy solutions selected will add needed capacity to Avista’s portfolio
SPOKANE, Wash., Jan. 26, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Avista has selected projects as part of its request for proposal (RFP) process to identify new resources to support long-term reliability and customer needs.
Avista’s 2025 Electric Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) filed on December 31, 2024, identified a need for resource additions to Avista’s portfolio to meet reliability requirements, growing customer demand for energy and Avista’s clean energy goals.
To meet these needs, Avista will begin contract negotiations for the following projects:
- A self-build upgrade of Avista’s existing Natural Gas Combustion Turbines in north Idaho to add 14 MW of capacity without increasing carbon emissions. This upgrade will occur in two stages with the first occurring in 2027 and the second in 2029.
- A project for 100 MW, 4-hour Battery Energy Storage System (BESS), to be built and transferred to Avista in eastern Washington with a target date in 2028.
- A Power Purchase Agreement for approximately 200 MW of wind power from Montana that utilizes the Avista share of the Colstrip Transmission System with a target date in 2029.
- The addition of approximately 40 MW of Demand Response Programs that will recruit residential, commercial and industrial customers within Avista’s service territory, beginning in 2026.
“We are encouraged by the projects selected as a part of this process and the value they represent. The resources that were selected will play a critical role in meeting reliability and resource adequacy goals to serve customers and the growing demand for energy,” said Scott Kinney, Avista’s Vice President of Energy Resources & Integrated Planning. “These projects reflect a diverse mix of solutions, including clean energy, capacity-enhancing technologies, customer energy management solutions, and resources designed to optimize energy use. We look forward to engaging our selected partners to deliver resilient energy solutions.”
Avista’s RFP solicited proposals from bidders across all technology types, including demand response, to secure additional energy and capacity which would support long-term resource adequacy and reliability needs identified in the 2025 IRP.
More information about the selected projects will be provided as contracts become final. Additional information related to the RFP is available on the Avista website at www.myavista.com/allsourcerfp.
About Avista Utilities
Avista Utilities is involved in the production, transmission and distribution of energy. We provide energy services and electricity to 422,000 customers and natural gas to 383,000 customers in a service territory that covers 30,000 square miles in eastern Washington, northern Idaho and parts of southern and eastern Oregon, with a population of 1.7 million. Avista Utilities is an operating division of Avista Corp. (NYSE: AVA). For more information, please visit www.myavista.com.
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