Mint Farm Generating Station

As an important part of Cowlitz County, our Mint Farm Generating Station in Longview not only creates local commerce and family-wage jobs, but also provides substantial tax revenue for local public services. In addition, we support local charitable organizations.

Mint Farm Generating Station facts

The Mint Farm facility came online in January 2008, and was acquired by PSE in December 2008. The plant employs modern, “combustion-turbine, combined-cycle” technology that allows it to generate electricity using both a natural gas cycle and, from the exhaust heat of its power-generating turbine, a steam cycle. The two-stage process boosts operating efficiency, lowers fuel costs, and cuts air emissions.

Combined-cycle plants like Mint Farm operate much more efficiently than simple-cycle gas-fired plants. The latter typically run only to help meet daily or seasonal peaks in customers’ power usage, while combined-cycle plants often operate to help meet utility customers’ base power requirements. They also complement hydro- and wind-powered generation because gas-fired plants can operate on a firm schedule while power generation from hydro and wind-generating facilities is dependent upon the seasons.

• The Mint Farm Generating Station is the newest of the eight natural gas-fired power-producing plants we own and operate in Washington.
• The station can produce 310 megawatts of electricity when running at maximum capacity — enough power to meet the annual needs of 220,000 households.
• The plant uses a combined-cycle combustion turbine technology, a two-stage process that boosts operating efficiency, lowers fuel costs and reduces air emissions.
• The facility provides 21 full-time jobs.