We receive our electric power from 3 primary sources: Bonneville Power Administration, Wells Dam, and Energy Northwest. You can read about our power sources below, as well as other related topics.
Power Sources
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reated in 1937 by Congress and The Roosevelt Administration, The Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) is a federal, U.S. Department of Energy agency that markets wholesale electrical power and transmission services in the Pacific Northwest.
While it is a federal agency, BPA is not tax-supported through government appropriations. BPA recovers all of its costs through their electricity and transmission sales. Sources of this power include 30 federal hydro projects, 1 non-federal nuclear plant, and other non-federal power plants. This system is referred to as The Federal Columbia River Power System. Almost half of the power used in the Northwest comes from BPA. We receive approximately 2/3 of our power supply from BPA.
Read more about BPA.
The Wells Hydroelectric Project is operated by Douglas County PUD. As of 2026 we receive 10.45% of the output of Wells Dam through a long-term power purchasing agreement. This percentage will be adjusted upward on an annual basis through 2048. Wells began its first commercial generation in August 1967, under a 50-year license that was issued in 1963.
Because power generated from Wells Dam is reliant on water conditions, this is a variable source of energy. In a typical year, we receive up to 65 megawatts of power from Wells Dam. As we experienced in 2001, drought conditions can jeopardize the production from this power source. For this reason, your PUD is always looking for alternatives such as wind-powered generation and enhanced BPA contracts to ensure an uninterrupted supply of power to our customers.
Read more about Wells Dam and Douglas PUD.
Energy Northwest has a membership of 28 utilities. The board of directors is made up of 28 representatives, 1 for each of its members. The Nine Canyon Wind Project was developed and is owned and operated by Energy Northwest to provide a renewable energy resource to participating public utilities. It is capable of generating up to 95.9 megawatts and is the largest publicly owned wind project in the country. It provides, on average, enough electric power to supply over 10,000 households.
Nine Canyon consists of 63 turbines. 49 of the turbines rated at 1.3 megawatts and 14 rated at 2.3 megawatts. The Nine Canyon site is approximately 8 miles southeast of Kennewick and covers 75 acres.
Okanogan County PUD approved Energy Northwest's undertaking of the Nine Canyon Wind farm in January 2001. We are one of the largest participants in this project, with a 16.6% share of energy output.
Read more about Energy Northwest and the Nine Canyon Wind Project.
Power Market Challenges & Possible Impact on Energy Supply
With passage of the Clean Energy Transformation Act (CETA), Washington State has committed to a power supply free of greenhouse gas and emissions by 2045. This means all energy sources providing power to the citizens of Washington state must be from a renewable energy source, which primarily includes wind, solar, hydroelectric, and geothermal power. This means less diversification in the power supply and a limited supply of ‘firm’ power on the market.
At the same time, energy demands are escalating at an unprecedented rate, driven by rapid industrialization, population growth, and technological advancements. In fact, the world’s energy consumption has doubled over the past 3 decades and Washington is no exception. According to a Report by the Pacific Northwest Utilities Conference Committee, the Pacific Northwest’s regional load is expected to increase by 30% by 2034.
With the increased load growth and less diversification of energy supply, there could be a potential
for energy curtailment.
- Energy curtailment may be implemented during high-load scenarios when energy usage is at its peak. It is a temporary measure used to alleviate the load on a transmission facility or generator. Curtailment may be necessary if the demand for power exceeds the supply. During peak usage, additional power must be purchased in real-time. If large geographic areas are all experiencing the same peak and purchasing from the same power markets, there is the potential for a lack of power supply. This means that energy usage would need to be reduced to the original nominal load use. This may be done voluntarily by customers shutting off unnecessary loads such as hot water tanks, pumps, or laundry facilities, or it may be forced by turning off power lines or substations. Curtailments are initiated by authorities such as Transmission Operators, Balancing Authorities, or Reliability Coordinators to ensure the stability of the electric grid in the region.
OK PUD prioritizes ensuring that hospitals, businesses, and essential services are the last to be affected by curtailment operations.
OK PUD is working to prepare for the growing demand on our electrical grid by increasing conductors and upgrading transmission lines and infrastructure. However, these projects take time and come at a high cost.
Progress toward the development of reliable and renewable energy sources are being made, however there are challenges in this pursuit. As solar and wind power are variable and dependent on weather conditions, they require energy storage or backup systems to ensure instant dependable power. Advances in battery technology and other storage solutions are being developed but are currently incredibly cost-prohibitive (millions of dollars).
Production of nuclear and geo-thermal energy involve a substantial initial cost for infrastructure and technology development, not to mention permitting and regulations. Furthermore, the integration of variable renewable sources to the energy grid can be difficult and costly.
There will no doubt be challenges as the Pacific Northwest adjusts to the changes of supply and demand. OK PUD is committed to providing safe, dependable, and responsible public power to our customers and at a reasonable rate, as we move closer to the state mandate of 100% green energy requirements.
For more information email OK PUD Public Information Officer Jessica McCarthy.