HomeMy WebLinkAboutHandout - BPA I-5 Corridor Reinforcement Project � �Gt,�i�,��«.��
___--
������ ��
' I-5 Corridor Reinforcement Project
BPA will not build
5/18/2017 12:00 AM
The Bonneville Power Administration will not build the I-5 Corridor Reinforcement Project, a proposed 80-
mile, 500-kilovolt transmission line that would have stretched from Castle Rock,Washington,to Troutdale,
Oregon.
The decision, announced today by Administrator Elliot Mainzer, caps a comprehensive public process
and reflects BPA's commitment to taking a more flexible, scalable, a a St announced in 2009 rso'ughtlt
efficient approach to managing its transmissian system.The pro�ect,
address a reliability issue along a transmission corridor in southwest Washington and northwest Oregon
that could lead to power outages.
Following a final environmental impact statement#hat was relee�eBPAF�e gran an ex ensi eaev ew of
promised the region that BPA would conduct additional anatys
financial forecasts, planning assumptions and commercia� s toladdr ss the underlying i suets�itanaging
findings of regional uti li ties an d i n d e p e n d e n t i n d u s t ry e x p e r t
congestion along the I-5 corridor while maintaining the p°ns to I rov de eliable9 robust tra sm sshon
process,Bonneville determined it could meet its obl�gatw p
service with a more innovative,flexible approach.
"Given the extensive work we've done in the past�mandston hehgr d'wi hout bueding h st80rmi eeine in
now confident that we can continue to meet the de
southwest Washington," Mainzer said. "We will always make safe and reliable transmission service a
priority.We also recognize a growing need to be flexible and agile in our business practices to create the
greatest value to electricity ratepayers in the Northwest."
The decision provides certainty for the more than 300 h ndsoof othe snwho Iv ednnea o'therrr�ut y a�ong
the preferred route identified in the final EIS, and thousa
alternatives.
"We are very thankful to the stakeholders and the public who actively engaged in this effort, and we
appreciate their patience as we continued to look for how we could make the right investment at the right
time under constantly evolving market conditions," Mainzer said. "Th e�our ex stng an I}rtical pro esses,
budget for this project became the cataiyst for pushing us to reconsid
our commercial business practices and our implementation of fed�ransforming how we plan for and me is
much bigger than a decision to build or not build this line:We are
manage our transmission system and commercial business practices regionwide."
BPA identified that it used a
For example, in reviewing its project assumptions with regional utitities, roach to
conservative approach to risk that went beyond industry standards. By modernizing its app