PTC threat looms over PacifiCorp's huge wind expansion plans

Warren Buffett’s PacifiCorp won a qualified victory with state regulators in Oregon, convincing them of the merits of proceeding swiftly with its massive $3.5bn wind and transmission expansion plan in the western US in order to capture benefits from the fading production tax credit (PTC).

But PacifiCorp, comprising the rate-regulated utilities Rocky Mountain Power and Pacific Power, still faces hurdles in obtaining regulatory approval in Oregon and the three other states affected by its “Energy Vision 2020” plan – most critically the imperiled status of the PTC itself.