In addition to creating vast amounts of renewable energy, the Pacific Northwest needs energy storage to ensure people have power when they need it. The Goldendale Energy Storage Project would serve as a large battery. The project provides 12 hours of energy storage—much longer than lithium ion batteries. And, its location along a major transmission corridor means it can connect into existing transmission lines, allowing the project to seamlessly and cost-effectively provide reliable energy storage for generations to come.

The Goldendale project is located within the Columbia Gorge Bi-State Renewable Energy Zone, a designation aimed at streamlining renewable energy development. The region is currently home to numerous wind farms. During some parts of the year, much of the wind generation has to be curtailed because the grid can’t handle it. The Goldendale project would harness that energy for later use while bringing significant economic benefits to the region.

The Goldendale project will create more than 3,000 green jobs over its construction period. Almost half of these are family-wage jobs in the building and construction trades, ranging from electricians to laborers to heavy-machinery operators.

The project will be built by union workers, guaranteeing safe working conditions and fair compensation. The project will also be an opportunity to train new apprentices, who will gain the experience needed to guarantee higher-wage jobs in the future.