YAKIMA, Wash. (AP) — The Bonneville Power Administration is celebrating the completion of a new transmission line Friday to better incorporate wind energy into the Northwest power grid.
The line runs 79 miles along the Columbia River from McNary Dam to John Day Dam. It’s one of several planned in Washington and Oregon to get power from wind turbines east of the Cascades to urban centers on the west side.
BPA administrator Steve Wright says construction crews finished the project early and at a savings of nearly $140 million. The original budget was about $340 million.
Some are questioning the future of wind development in the region, after Congress failed to extend a production tax credit on wind energy. BPA and wind producers also are in a dispute over how to handle power oversupplies.
