On January 22, 2026, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission or FERC) issued a 40‑year original license to FFP Project 101, LLC (FFP) to construct and operate a 1,200‑megawatt pumped storage hydropower facility, the Goldendale Energy Storage Project, in Klickitat County, Washington. FERC found that, with conditions, the closed‑loop pumped storage project will add significant long‑duration capacity and flexibility to help integrate renewable resources in the Western grid.

The Goldendale project is a new pumped storage hydropower facility that will move water between an upper reservoir in the Columbia Hills area and a lower reservoir on and adjacent to the former Columbia Gorge Aluminum smelter site. The project will be located on the north side of the Columbia River near John Day Dam, will occupy 18.1 acres of federal land administered by the Bonneville Power Association, and will be located within the traditional territories of the Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation, the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, the Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs Reservation of Oregon, and the Nez Perce Tribe. Designed as a closed‑loop system supplied by water purchased from Klickitat County Public Utility District No. 1, the project is intended to charge during off‑peak periods and generate during peak demand, supplying power into the regional wholesale market.

The licensing process drew extensive comment and opposition from tribes, environmental non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and local stakeholders. Tribal governments and conservation groups argued that inundation and industrial development would irreversibly damage culturally significant sites and landscapes and questioned the adequacy of federal-tribal consultation and protection of treaty‑reserved rights. Federal and state agencies and NGOs also raised concerns about potential impacts on salmon and steelhead listed under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), construction atop a contaminated former industrial site, and interactions with nearby wind projects and wildlife; others challenged the project’s economic viability. FFP and supporting agencies responded that the closed‑loop design, reliance on existing industrial and transmission corridors, and a suite of mitigation and monitoring measures developed through a multi‑year environmental investigation would avoid or minimize environmental and cultural harm while delivering needed grid‑support services.

In its licensing order, FERC held that, subject to extensive environmental, cultural resource, and safety conditions, the project is “best adapted” to a comprehensive plan for the Columbia River under sections 4(e) and 10(a) of the Federal Power Act. The Commission concluded that, with seasonal limits on reservoir filling, water‑quality and species‑protection measures, and a Programmatic Agreement and Historic Properties Management Plan to address adverse effects on archaeological sites and traditional cultural properties, the project can proceed in compliance with applicable federal programs, including ESA, Clean Water Act, and National Historic Preservation Act, and without interfering with treaty‑reserved hunting, fishing, and gathering rights. FERC also found that the project’s levelized cost is lower than plausible alternatives and that its storage and ancillary services will support regional reliability as fossil fuel plants retire.

A copy of FERC’s order, issued in Docket No. P-14861-002, is available here.