Hydropower

Hydropower is America’s largest renewable resource. Up to 10 percent of the nation’s power supply is generated by hydro projects, which release no carbon emissions. Using the power of moving water, hydropower comes in many forms. From traditional hydro, like the two dams in the Priest Rapids Project, to new technologies using ocean waves and tidal movement to create power, hydropower is more than just clean electricity. It can also provide recreational opportunities, flood control, irrigation and transportation. Hydropower is clean energy for the future.

Priest Rapids Project

Grant PUD owns two, large hydroelectric dams on the Columbia River - Priest Rapids and Wanapum dams. These facilities, licensed together as the Priest Rapids Project, make up the second largest non-federal hydroelectric project in the country. With the ability to produce nearly 2,000 megawatts of electricity – enough to power the city of Seattle – the Priest Rapids Project’s clean, renewable hydroelectricity powers Grant County and millions of homes and businesses across the Northwest.

On October 21, 1954, the Federal Power Commission (now the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission or FERC) issued a permit to Grant PUD authorizing the construction of the Priest Rapids Project. Priest Rapids Dam began operation in 1959 and Wanapum Dam went on-line in 1963.

The original construction of the Priest Rapids Project was financed through the issuance of revenue bonds, with the citizens of Grant County assuming all the construction risk. Once the dams were operational, power sales contracts with regional utilities provided repayment of the bonds. Grant PUD was able to build the Priest Rapids Project without county, state or federal funding.

In 2008, after an extensive relicensing process, Grant PUD received a new, 44-year license from FERC to continue operating Priest Rapids and Wanapum dams. This new license assures that the people of Grant County – and the millions of customers served by the power produced at the Priest Rapids Project – can continue enjoying the benefits of hydro electricity produced by a publicly-owned utility.  Grant PUD produces nearly 25 percent of the non-federal hydropower in Washington state.

Grant PUD employees balance work to maximize energy production with continual efforts to enhance fish and other resources. Working collaboratively with experts from federal and state agencies, Native American tribes and other stakeholders to develop protection and enhancement programs, Grant PUD continues responsible stewardship of Priest Rapids Project resources. As part of the commitment to safeguard these resources and public use of the Priest Rapids Project, Grant PUD complies with local, state and federal regulations.