Bethel-Round Butte transmission line: its capacity and our ownership

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In our first column, we briefly mentioned the $250 million grant that Warm Springs Power & Water Enterprises (WSPWE) received, on behalf of the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, to upgrade the Bethel-Round Butte transmission line. We’d like to share a little bit more about what makes this so significant for the Tribes and why it’s a critical part of the Enterprises’ work to support Tribal sovereignty.

Here’s the backstory. The line transmits power from the Pelton Round Butte hydropower project to the Willamette Valley. It was built in the 1960s, and it needs to be upgraded because the current line’s capacity is fully utilized.

The Tribes applied to the U.S. Department of Energy Grid Resilience Innovative Partnership Program (GRIP) for a grant to address these issues, in partnership with our Pelton Round Butte co-owners and -operators, Portland General Electric (PGE). What the Tribes received is an unprecedented award for a Tribal and investor-owned utility partnership.

The grant will fund upgrades to the Bethel-Round Butte line to enhance its ability to transmit more power. We’ll make the upgrades in partnership with PGE, ensuring access to new transmission capacity for the Tribes.

That partnership is key — it makes new renewable energy projects like solar development possible, and will bring in increased revenues that the Tribes can invest in their community.

Upgrading the line directly benefits the communities in other ways, too, such as:

  • Creating and integrating clean energy jobs curriculum at the Warm Springs K-8 Academy, introducing students to a variety of in-demand careers and educational pathways
  • Creating a mentorship program that will provide high school students with coaching from energy industry professionals and hands-on learning opportunities in energy careers
  • Partnering with Oregon Tradeswomen to support Tribal members specifically interested in the trades
  • Road construction on the Reservation that will prioritize hiring Tribal members and working with Tribal enterprises
  • Installing high-capacity fiber optic communications cables in conjunction with the project construction, bringing broadband access to underserved communities and Tribal members along the transmission route as well as additional potential sources of revenue for the Tribes.

So, where is this project as of now? It officially kicked off on October 22, with a meeting among the Tribes, PGE and the U.S. Department of Energy. The project is currently estimated to take 8-10 years to complete, so our focus for the next two years will be to plan the details of the project including the timeline. Workforce programming and community engagement is currently expected to begin at the beginning of 2025. As more details are confirmed for what will happen in 2025, we will share them with members.