PGE, Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs extend partnership on hydropower facility for 16 years
Portland General Electric (PGE) and the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs this week agreed to extend a partnership agreement for the Pelton Round Butte low-impact hydropower facility for another 16 years.
Pelton Round Butte consists of three dams sitting on a 20-mile stretch of the Deschutes River and operates under co-ownership from the two partners. It is expected to provide 224 MW of PGE’s 2025 capacity needs with clean electricity, essentially fulfilling 40 percent of PGE’s requirements. The site is capable of increasing and decreasing output as customer demand requires.
“Clean hydropower is an important part of our diverse resource mix, serving customers with reliable, affordable, emissions-free electricity,” PGE President and CEO Maria Pope said.
As part of the extended agreement, PGE will continue purchasing power generated from the Tribes’ share of Pelton Round Butte through 2040. All of the emissions-free electricity generated there will continue to flow into PGE’s portfolio. However, CTWS has indicated they intend to increase their ownership in Pelton Round Butte from 33 percent to 49 percent in the coming years. Under an existing agreement, the Tribes were granted the right and opportunity to purchase a greater share of the project in 2021.
This hydroelectric project began operations in 1964. Pelton Round Butte produces around 500 MW of electricity.
