Goldendale

One county in south-central Washington state has become a hub for renewable energy development. It’s divided people living in Klickitat County – those who welcome development and those who steadfastly oppose it. People are still waiting on new rules for future renewable projects.

For the past seven years, people in Goldendale have worked to build what’s called a microgrid. It could serve as backup power at the local hospital and school district. Then, the Trump administration pulled millions of dollars – all the construction money. FEMA leaders say the grants didn’t lessen hazards nationwide.

Un controvertido proyecto energético en el centro-sur de Washington está un paso más cerca de empezar a construirse. Una comisión federal ha dado a conocer su informe medioambiental definitivo sobre el proyecto de almacenamiento de energía por bombeo de Goldendale, lo que preocupa a varias tribus y grupos ecologistas.

(Runtime 1:27)The reindeer at Goldendale ReindeerFarm do more than dash through the snow—they play their games, of course, and snuggle with their…

Un incendio en el centro-sur de Washington ha amenazado proyectos de energías renovables, ganado y fauna salvaje, así como un importante vertedero del estado.

A fire in south-central Washington has threatened renewable energy projects, livestock and wildlife, and a major landfill for the state.The Newell Road…

A large energy storage project in Washington will have to reapply for important water quality certifications. The state recently denied the certification because officials didn’t have enough information about the Goldendale Energy Storage Project.

If approved, a utility-scale solar farm would be the largest in renewable friendly Klickitat County and in Washington. But some residents say its potential location doesn’t take one important thing into account: environmental justice.

The Goldendale Energy Storage Project would be a solution to generate energy when the sun isn’t shining or the wind isn’t blowing. But, to the Yakama Nation, the destruction of those sites would add another heartbreak to an ever-expanding list. Countless important cultural areas have faced destruction across the Northwest, largely because they’re not understood by non-tribal members.

Many states – including Oregon and Washington – have set renewable energy goals. But, there’s a problem. The wind isn’t always blowing, and the sun isn’t always shining. That’s why wind and solar power are variable, or intermittent. Enter pumped hydro. It's not a new technology, but it is gaining more interest regionally.