Avista picks wind first, coal second

Avista Corp.’s (NYSE: AVA) 2005 Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) predicts electricity sales will grow 2.1 percent annually through 2026.

In order to meet demand, the utility’s preferred vision calls for 400 megawatts (MW) of wind, 250 MW of coal, 80 MW of biomass, 52 MW of plant upgrades and 69 MW of conservation by 2016. Avista’s energy- conservation acquisitions would be 50 percent higher than in the utility’s 2003 IRP, according to a company news release.