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Last Milestone Achieved in Relicensing Process
February 5, 2008
EPHRATA, WA – Grant PUD staff received a final report from NOAA Fisheries on Friday, February 1, completing the necessary steps required for the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to issue a new license for operation of the Priest Rapids Project.
“Receipt of a new, long-term license for the Priest Rapids Project has been the highest priority for Grant PUD for a number of years,” said Grant PUD General Manager, Tim Culbertson. “We are pleased to have reached this final milestone and look forward to the day when a new license is issued.”
Ratepayers in Grant County and millions of other electricity consumers throughout the Northwest have a stake in the outcome of this relicensing effort. The license application Grant PUD filed with FERC in October 2003 requests a second, 50-year license and includes nearly $800 million in proposed mitigation and enhancement measures for the natural and cultural resources affected by the project. It was developed through a collaborative process involving local stakeholders, federal and state agencies and tribes and is backed by the best science available.
The original Priest Rapids Project license expired in October 2005. The project will continue to operate under annual licenses issued by FERC until a final decision is made on the new license. Grant PUD anticipates a new, long-term license order this year.
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Grant County Public Utility District is a Washington state municipal corporation that began electric service in 1942. Owned by the people it serves, Grant PUD generates and sells electricity to Grant County residents and millions of customers throughout Central Washington and the Pacific Northwest. The Priest Rapids Project, comprised of Priest Rapids and Wanapum Dams, produces nearly 2,000 megawatts of clean, renewable and reliable electricity – enough to supply a city the size of Seattle. A leader in science based technology; Grant PUD is committed to finding effective measures for the protection, mitigation and enhancement of salmon, steelhead and other natural and cultural resources.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Sarah Morford / (509) 754-6633 / smorfor@gcpud.org |
