WSP02437

• File Number: 8220.100.50
• Description: CRSP - Power Issues
• Basin: Colorado Mainstem
• Date: 1/1/1982
• Author: West. Sys. Coord. Co
• Title: Western Systems Coordinating Council Ten-Year Coordinated Plan Summary 1982 - 1991
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Publication

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41

ENERGY SOURCES
AND
FOSSIL FUEL INFORMATION

The adequacy of bulk power supply has always depended upon an
assured supply of primary energy. In the past, increasing thermal energy
requirements for electric generation were met by the availability and
relatively unhindered development of gas, oil, and coal resources, and the
energy industry's production capability which assured an adequate supply
for all sectors of the energy market. For a number of reasons, this
favorable situation no longer exists and it has become important that the
electric utility industry provide estimates of its future primary energy
requirements. Such estimates are needed to establish the total
requirements for coal, oil and gas to facilitate regional and national
planning. This section of the report summarizes information on actual and
estimated energy sources, thermal energy production, and fossil fuel
requirements as submitted by the organizations within the WSCC region.

Table 29 summarizes the projected energy load for the WSCC
region. Table 7 in the "Loads and Resources" section provides the same
information for the total WSCC region and the four major areas within
WSCC. Tables 30 through 38 show actual 1981 and projected 1982-1991
sources of thermal energy production and fossil fuel requirements for the
total WSCC region and for each of the four major areas.

Figure 10 illustrates the projected energy sources which will
serve the projected electric load of the WSCC region. During the next ten
years, an increasing percentage of the load is projected to be served by
coal, nuclear and geothermal sources. The tabulated percentages in the
following table allow a direct comparison of the relative shift in the
generation mix under median hydro conditions over the ten-year period.

WSCC TOTAL REGION
SOURCES OF ELECTRIC ENERGY GENERATION - PERCENT
MEDIAN HYDRO CONDITIONS

Source 1982 1984 1986 1988 1990 1991
Hydro 43 43 41 40 38 37
Coal 27 27 28 29 32 34
Oil 5 5 6 5 4 4
Gas 15 9 7 6 5 5
Nuclear 5 10 12 13 13 13
Geothermal 1 2 2 2 3 3

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Figure 11 graphically portrays the estimated quantities of oil,
gas, and coal required to satisfy projected electric generation
requirements. The figure indicates that coal requirements will increase
by 68 percent during the next ten years as the need for coal is projected
to increase from 81 million tons in 1981 to 136 million tons in 1991.
During the next three years (1982 through 1984), natural gas consumption
is projected to decrease by approximately 33 percent and then decline by

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