PORTLAND, Ore., Jun 18, 2009 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Portland General Electric Company (PGE) (NYSE:POR) announced today that the first turbines erected for phase two of its Biglow Canyon Wind Farm have begun generating electricity and supplying power on the Pacific Northwest's electricity grid.

"This major capital investment is moving forward on time and on budget," said Jim Piro, PGE president and CEO. "Our customers place a high priority on renewable power, and Biglow Canyon is an important step toward helping PGE meet Oregon's Renewable Energy Standard."

Phase one of Biglow Canyon was completed in 2007, with 76 turbines and an installed capacity of 125 megawatts of electricity. Trucks laden with wind-turbine parts for this second phase began rolling into Biglow in mid-April. A total of 65 new turbines are scheduled for completion this spring and summer -- with about 10 truckloads of parts delivered per wind turbine. Twelve turbines are currently generating power.

Each of the new turbines will be capable of generating up to 2.3 megawatts, bringing Biglow Canyon's combined installed capacity to nearly 275 megawatts by the end of 2009. A third phase with another 76 turbines is slated for commercial operation in 2010, which will bring the wind farm to a combined installed capacity of 450 megawatts. Given the variability of wind power, the plant is expected to produce an average of around 150 megawatts - enough to power the homes of about 125,000 average PGE residential customers.

The Biglow Canyon Wind Farm is located near Wasco in Sherman County, Ore. It is PGE's newest renewable energy project. When complete, it is expected to be one of the largest wind power facilities in the Pacific Northwest. In addition to providing carbon-free and emissions-free generation of electric power, the wind farm is also creating jobs, providing income for local businesses, generating tax revenues for local government, and providing easement payments to landowners.

The Biglow Canyon project was developed by Orion Energy LLC. It is being built by PGE, which will also own and operate it.

About Portland General Electric Company

Portland General Electric, headquartered in Portland, Ore., is a fully integrated electric utility that serves approximately 814,000 residential, commercial and industrial customers in Oregon. Visit our Web site at PortlandGeneral.com.

Safe Harbor Statement

Statements in this news release that relate to future plans, objectives, expectations, performance, events and the like may constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Such forward-looking statements include statements concerning the future completion and performance of phase two and subsequent phases of the Biglow Canyon Wind Farm and other expected benefits of the project, as well as other statements identified by words including, but not limited to, "will," "anticipates," "believes," "intends," "estimates," "promises," "expects," "should," "conditioned upon" and similar expressions. Investors are cautioned that any such forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties, including regulatory, operational and legal matters, as well as other factors that could affect the deployment and successful operation of turbines at the Biglow Canyon project. As a result, actual results may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements included in this news release are based on information available to the Company on the date hereof and such statements speak only as of the date hereof. The Company assumes no obligation to update any such forward-looking statements. Prospective investors should also review the risks and uncertainties listed in the Company's most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and the Company's reports on Forms 8-K and 10-Q filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, including Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operation and the risks described therein from time to time.

POR-F

Source: Portland General Electric Company

SOURCE: Portland General Electric Company

PGE
Elaina Medina, 503-464-8790
or
Steve Corson, 503-464-8444

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