As we attempt to envision the economy of the future, one thing is certain: Energy will be required to power it.
One proposal, the Goldendale Energy Storage Project, is rife with questions and shortcomings. But as the state Department of Ecology seeks public comment about the proposal, it is worth considering while vetting the issues involved.
The hydropower project would be adjacent to the Columbia River in Klickitat County. Two reservoirs at different elevations would be built above the river and would be connected by a tunnel with reversible turbines.
When other energy sources, such as wind and solar, are running low, water would be released from the upper reservoir through the turbines to the lower reservoir, generating electricity. Then, during off-peak hours, “renewable energy would be used to pump water back to the upper reservoir,” reads a statement from the ecology department.
As we are well aware in this part of the country, hydropower is renewable, relatively inexpensive and cleaner than the burning of fossil fuels. Taking advantage of nature’s bounty to increase our electrical capacity is sensible and fits with the region’s ethos.
Additionally, the lower reservoir would be at the cleaned-up site of a former aluminum smelter — an appropriate repurposing of land that was abused by heavy industry for years.
But doubts about the project are prevalent.
Among them, Yakama Nation officials say the project would desecrate cultural lands. “That’s the thing that we protect,” Jerry Meninick, the nation’s deputy director for culture, told Northwest Public Broadcasting last year. “And I know it’s meaningless to others, but, to us, it means everything.” Jeremy Takala, a Yakama citizen, said: “Cultural resources are not a renewable thing for us. How much more of the land — our land — has to be sacrificed?”
Similar concerns about physical degradation of the land are shared by environmental groups.
Other issues have been raised by energy consultants, who say the profitability of the project is uncertain. Idaho-based Tony Jones analyzed the proposal, along with similar plans in Oregon, at the behest of news outlet Investigate West.
“For these projects to be profitable they will need eight to 10 hours of the high prices that go along with high demand,” Jones said. “But instead, they’re getting one to two hours.”
Investigate West said Jones estimates the Goldendale project would require an electricity price of $102 per megawatt hour to turn a profit. In April, during an unseasonal cold snap, the price averaged $45. The Northwest Power and Conservation Council projects that by 2026, electricity in the region will cost between $12 and $17 per megawatt hour.
Each of those issues requires consideration and robust discussion. For now, the Department of Ecology is seeking public comment about a draft environmental impact statement. One in-person meeting and two online meetings are scheduled, and comments may be submitted in writing.
The website for the proposal claims the project “is a cornerstone of both Washington’s and the broader Pacific Northwest’s clean energy economy. It will provide quality jobs and rural economic development while helping Washington and the region meet its clean energy goals with minimal environmental impacts.”
Clean energy is, indeed, an important goal. And it can, indeed, create jobs and boost the economy. But many questions about the Goldendale Energy Storage Project must be answered before the proposal moves forward.
