38-mile line in southeast Washington will move wind and
hydropower west
(PORTLAND, OR) -- The Bonneville Power Administration is
moving forward with construction of the Central Ferry-Lower Monumental
Transmission Line Project in Washington. The 38-mile, 500-kilovolt line will
connect the new Central Ferry Substation in Garfield County to the existing
Lower Monumental Substation in Walla Walla County. Construction is set to begin
in spring of 2014. Energization is expected in December 2015.
The project was put on hold in August 2011 because of
uncertainty regarding the readiness of customer utilities. BPA customers
requested and were given the opportunity to reconsider transmission service
commitments that would have required BPA to build the Central Ferry-Lower
Monumental line. Now, a recent agreement between Puget Sound Energy and
Portland General Electric gives BPA the confidence to move forward. As part of
the deal, PSE will transfer 267 megawatts of energy from phase two of the Lower
Snake River Wind facility, which PGE has renamed the Tucannon River Wind Farm,
and transmission service rights to PGE.
“Our Network Open Season process was designed to help BPA
build the right facilities in the right place at the right time backed by
strong commercial agreements,” said BPA Acting Administrator Elliot Mainzer.
“With this project, we are able to help PGE meet its renewable resource needs
at minimal cost to existing network customers.”
BPA completed an environmental review and a preliminary
engineering design in early 2011. The agency issued a record of decision to
build the line in March 2011.
