A safe, equitable, and environmentally sound way to store and integrate carbon free sources of electricity. Supporting Washington's efforts to meet its clean energy goals.
Jobs
The community of Goldendale has been working to bring back good-paying jobs that were lost when the Columbia Gorge Aluminum smelter closed in the ’90s. There is broad community support for the Goldendale Energy Storage Project, which will create more than 3,000 family-wage jobs over its construction period.
These will be family-wage, union jobs in the building and construction trades, ranging from electricians to laborers to heavy machinery operators. Because of the four-year construction period, Goldendale will also offer apprenticeships, allowing people to earn money while they learn a trade.
Tax Revenue
Supporting the community
The project would infuse $2B+ dollars into rural Washington and generate millions of dollars in annual property taxes for Klickitat County to fund schools, police and fire departments, roads, playgrounds, libraries and other infrastructure. The total taxes generated is estimated at roughly $14 million annually over the lifetime of the project. A article estimated the impact of this revenue on the local economy.
A safe, reliable, and environmentally sound way to store renewable energy – deploying it when it is needed most.
Roads:
$3,250,000
Goldendale School District:
$3,000,000
Additional County Services:
$5,150,000
Total:
$14,000,000 / Annually
The Columbia River Gorge region’s economic development strategy and energy plans
The Goldendale project is located about eight miles southeast of Goldendale, Washington in the Columbia River Gorge, and two hours east of Portland. The Gorge is an important center of renewable energy production and high-tech innovation.
Located within the Columbia Gorge Bi-State Renewable Energy Zone, it's an important project for the region. The Goldendale Energy Storage Project is the number one Washington priority-project in the Mid-Columbia Economic Development District's Economic Development Strategy (MCEDD). MCEDD also plays an important role in supporting nearby Hood River County’s implementation of its Energy Plan, which includes carbon emission reduction goals.