Portland General Electric (NYSE:POR), in partnership with Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs Reservation of Oregon, said it was selected to receive a $250M grant from the U.S. Department of Energy to help advance transmission upgrades.
The partners said the grant will enable enhancements to the existing 230 kV Bethel-Round Butte transmission line – a crucial artery in the region’s transmission system – connecting resources west of the Cascades, including on the Warm Springs Reservation, to the Willamette Valley.
New transmission capacity on the Warm Springs Reservation will enable the development of renewable infrastructure, accommodate new industrial development, and bring revenue to historically underserved communities, the partners said.
Portland General (POR) said increasing the line’s capacity also will improve reliability and help meet growing electrical demand from customers in its service area, which contains about half of Oregon’s population and two thirds of the state’s commercial and industrial activity.