GRANTS PASS, Ore. (AP) — Development of $1 billion worth of wind power on the north side of southeastern Oregon’s Steens Mountain hinges on approval of a high-voltage transmission line that would cross federal lands.
The U.S. Bureau of Land Management is considering two routes and whether to approve a single 115 kilovolt line, or allowing a future upgrade to 230 kilovolts.
The lower-capacity line would be enough for one wind farm to be built on private land. But without the higher capacity line, three other projects Columbia Energy Partners also hopes to build won’t have a way to get their power to market.
Located in southeastern Oregon about 50 miles southeast of Burns, Steens Mountain is popular with campers, anglers, hunters, hikers and birdwatchers.
