PORTLAND, Ore. — A new effort by the Bonneville Power Administration will increase power availability in the region, according to an announcement from the BPA. 

The announcement identified 13 new transmission substation and line projects aimed at bolstering the electric grid in the Pacific Northwest, two of which are in Washington state. If executed, these projects could accommodate regional load growth and enable the addition of thousands of megawatts of new wind, solar generation and battery storage to BPA's federal grid, according to the announcement. The total estimated cost for all projects is approximately $3 billion. 

Among the key projects are the Grand Coulee-Columbia-Schultz 500 kV line and the Schultz-Olympia 500 kV line, both in Washington. The Grand Coulee project seeks to enhance an existing line to 500 kV, while the Schultz-Olympia line aims to rebuild a portion of the Coulee-Olympia infrastructure, further improving capacity and reliability.  

BPA Administrator and CEO John Hairston emphasized the agency's commitment to meeting the challenges of electrification, clean energy goals and rising energy demand.  

“BPA continues to answer the call to meet the region’s transmission needs driven by electrification, clean energy goals, and growing energy demand," Hairston wrote in the announcement.  

Ongoing investments in energy infrastructure will help maintain reliability and support a robust economy fueled by clean energy, Hairston wrote. According to the BPA release, the financial capability to undertake these projects has been bolstered by a $10 billion increase in Treasury borrowing authority included in the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act — a measure strongly supported by the Northwest Congressional delegation. 

The new transmission projects were identified through BPA’s Transmission Service Request Study and Expansion Process Cluster Study 2023. According to the announcement, while these projects are in their early development stages, they will undergo scoping followed by preliminary engineering within the next year.  

“BPA’s commitment to sustaining reliable electric service and meeting the growing needs of our existing customers remains a priority,” Senior Vice President of Transmission Services, Richard Shaheen wrote. 

To ensure sustained reliability, BPA has allocated a substantial budget of $590 million for grid reinforcements for fiscal year 2025, a significant increase from the $377 million budgeted in fiscal year 2024.  

“These projects advance our efforts to provide reliable service to our customers and keep pace with requests for transmission service,” Vice President of Transmission Service Planning and Asset Management Jeff Cook wrote. 

BPA will host a public meeting at 10 a.m. Oct.17 to discuss these new projects.