GRID RESILIENCE AND INNOVATION PARTNERSHIPS PROGRAM
Established by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the U.S. Department of Energy’s Grid Deployment Oce is administering a historic $10.5 billion
investment via the Grid Resilience and Innovation Partnerships (GRIP) program to enhance grid exibility, improve the resilience of the power system
against growing threats of extreme weather and climate change, and ensure American communities have access to aordable, reliable, clean
electricity when and where they need it.
The partnership between Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs (CTWS) and Portland General Electric (PGE) will establish a connection
between PGE’s load centers, which represent roughly half of Oregon’s population and 2/3 of the state’s commercial and industrial activity,
with the vast—but currently isolated—reservoir of renewable generation resources east of the Cascades, including those on the Warm
Springs Reservation.
The project will create additional transmission capacity to move large amounts of renewable energy from Central Oregon and other regions,
› Project:
Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs
(CTWS) and Portland General Electric
(PGE) Regional 500 kV Transmission
Innovative Partnership
› Applicant/Selectee:
Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs
Reservation of Oregon
› GRIP Program:
Grid Innovation Program (Bipartisan
Infrastructure Law, Section 40103(b))
› Federal cost share:
$250,000,000
› Recipient cost share:
$363,953,472
› Project Location:
Oregon
› Project type:
Transmission
PROJECT DETAILS
FACT SHEET
GRID DEPLOYMENT OFFICE
UPGRADING TRANSMISSION CAPACITY BY
BRIDGING RENEWABLES IN OREGON
› Grid Resilience and Innovation
Partnerships Program
› About the Grid Deployment Office
HELPFUL LINKS
including from tribal lands into PGE’s load center in the Willamette
Valley. PGE service territory is typically not renewable resource-rich
areas due to lower solar penetration and wind resources in Western
Oregon and lack of large land sites to support renewable development.
These clean energy resources are most abundantly available east of the
Cascade Mountain range. The CTWS/PGE Regional 500kV Transmission
Innovative Partnership will connect these new non-emitting resources
with the population and load centers of the state.
Anticipated Outcomes and Benets
› Creates and funds a Minority Serving Institution (MSI)/Minority
Business Enterprise (MBE) program that will build relationships
with business suppliers that have previously not supplied to the
energy sector.
› Builds a bridge between PGE customers and the immense, but
islanded, renewable generation potential of the Warm Springs
Reservation—up to 1,800 MW of carbon-free solar resources.
› Employs union labor on majority of the project.
› Engages tribes to participate in the clean energy industry.
› Tribal participation in—and ownership of—new transmission
capacity will create opportunities for clean energy development on
tribal lands, with a corresponding increase in tribal revenues.
› Upgrades the reliability of power sector infrastructure, measurably
increasing the energy security of Pacic Northwest communities
(particularly those located on tribal lands) and ensuring that
all communities in PGE’s service territory have access to clean,
aordable, and reliable electric power.
› Leverages PGE’s experience in workforce development and training
to bridge existing skill and education gaps amongst members of the
Tribes and targeted disadvantaged communities.
› Members of IBEW Local Union 125 will execute work o-reservation
and all line work throughout the project under Community
Benefit Agreements.
› Collaboration with IBEW on pre-apprenticeship opportunities.
› Creates an energy mentorship program to provide high school
students an opportunity to get hands-on experience and exposure to
energy careers.
› Partners with Oregon Tradeswomen to support those interested in
the trades.
› Preference for hiring tribal members.
Published October 2023. Fact sheet information is based on project
applications at the time of publication and should not be considered nal.
