Developers of a new pumped storage hydropower installation in Washington state said the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has issued a 50-year operating license for the project.
Rye Development, a U.S.-based developer of pumped storage hydropower, and Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP), on behalf of its Flagship Fund CI V, on January 22 said FERC gave the go-ahead for the Goldendale Energy Storage Project. The planned facility will be located on private land at the site of a former aluminum smelter near Goldendale, Washington. Officials on Thursday said the project will store electricity for up to 12 hours, and generate 1,200 MW of on-demand power.
“This is a landmark moment for the Pacific Northwest,” said Erik Steimle, Rye Development’s chief development officer. “With electricity demand and energy costs on the rise, this license represents a huge step toward a more reliable grid and affordable energy prices for the region.”
Pumped-hydro storage involves pumping water uphill when there is a power surplus on the grid, and then releasing it downhill, through generators, when more electricity is needed.
The companies in a news release said electricity demand in the U.S. Northwest is expected to grow more than 30% in the next 10 years, and noted the need for more power generation capacity to help temper rising energy prices for residential and commercial customers. The groups said pumped storage hydropower helps keep electricity costs more affordable by providing large-scale, dependable energy storage, even during extreme weather events.
Officials said the Goldendale Energy Storage Project is expected to create more than 3,000 jobs during its four- to five-year construction period, as well as “dozens” of permanent jobs. Once completed, the project is expected to generate more than $10 million annually for Klickitat County, supporting schools, public health, roads, emergency services and other essential needs.
“The Goldendale Energy Storage Project is a win for middle-class, family-wage jobs and rural communities,” said Heather Kurtenbach, executive secretary of the Washington State Building & Construction Trades Council. “We’re excited to collaborate with Rye Development on what will be one of the largest construction projects southeastern Washington has seen in decades.”
With a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to build the project under a labor agreement with the Washington State Building & Construction Trades Council and the Columbia Pacific Building & Construction Trades Council, all Goldendale contractors will be required to hire union workers, and per the MOU will prioritize hiring local workers.
New Life for Former Aluminum Smelter Site
The Goldendale project is sited at the former Columbia Gorge Aluminum smelter. The site also is located within the Tuolumne Wind Farm, and could use existing roads and transmission lines. The entire project area is located within Klickitat County’s Energy Overlay Zone, a designation aimed at streamlining energy development.
“Redeveloping the Columbia Gorge Aluminum smelter into a clean energy resource has been a longtime vision of this community,” said Richard Foster, economic development director for Klickitat County. “The project revitalizes our community with good-paying jobs, stimulates local economic growth and enhances our leadership in renewable energy.”
—Darrell Proctor is a senior editor for POWER.
