Oregon Public Broadcasting

Portland General Electric says it has submitted a proposal to Oregon's Department of Environmental Quality to close the coal-fired Boardman power plant by 2020.

PGE says it would be willing to make some upgrades to reduce emissions between now and 2020. 

Under a plan approved last year, PGE agreed to make at least $520 million in upgrades that would allow the plant to continue operations until 2040. 

PGE spokesman Steve Corson says his company will start looking at replacement resources if it's 2020 plan is approved.

"We will evaluate all of the options available to replace Boardman's electric output," he said. These options could include natural gas and bio-mass.

Corson said wind and solar could be part of the mix, but they are not reliable enough to fully replace Boardman's steady power output.

PGE is hoping for a decision on its proposal by the end of the year.