Trystan Casey
The Olympic Peninsula is powered by a combination of energy providers and projects, including the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA), Clallam County Public Utility District (PUD), and private companies like Olympic Electric and Peninsula Light. The BPA, a major player in the region, markets wholesale electrical power from various sources and delivers energy across 15,000 miles of high-voltage facilities in the Pacific Northwest. The Clallam County PUD is working towards using more renewable energy sources, with a proposed underwater transmission line, the Juan de Fuca cable project, aiming to provide reliable electricity from renewable sources. Olympic Electric, a full-service electrical contractor in Clallam County, has over 63 years of experience and handles projects of various sizes. Peninsula Light, another utility provider in the region, is subject to the Clean Energy Transformation Act (CETA), which requires it to create a Clean Energy Implementation Plan (CEIP) periodically.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Electricity Provider | Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) |
| BPA's Role | Markets wholesale electrical power from 31 federal hydroelectic projects, 1 nonfederal nuclear plant, and several small nonfederal power plants |
| BPA Transmission Services | Provides delivery of energy across 15,000 miles of high-voltage facilities in the Pacific Northwest and beyond |
| BPA's Maintenance Work | BPA's Olympia District conducted maintenance on the Port Angeles-Sappho No. 1 115-kv line and moved wood pole structures away from a steep cliff to increase reliability |
| BPA's Substation Maintenance Teams | Performed essential maintenance on disconnects at the Sappho Substation and the Port Angeles Substation with assistance from the Olympia Substation crew |
| BPA's Commitment | Minimizing unplanned outage time for Clallam County Public Utility District and its customers |
| Local Electrical Contractor | Olympic Electric, recognized as one of the most established electrical contractor companies on the Olympic Peninsula |
| Cross-Strait Power Cable Project | Proposed by Sea Breeze Power Corp. to provide reliable electricity from renewable sources to the North Olympic Peninsula |
| Project Benefits | Increased energy capacity and reliability for the Peninsula and the entire Northwest, enabling the use of wind and solar power |
| Regulatory Requirements | Clallam County PUD and other medium-sized Washington utilities are required to get 15% of their electricity from renewable sources by 2020 |
| Clean Energy Transformation Act (CETA) | Requires utilities like Peninsula Light to create a Clean Energy Implementation Plan (CEIP) every four years |
| GridWise Project | Established a transactive retail market with real-time prices, coordinating residential, commercial, and municipal loads to manage distribution capacity and respond to price fluctuations |
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What You'll Learn
Bonneville Power Administration (BPA)
The Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) is a self-financing organisation that markets wholesale electrical power from 31 federal hydroelectric projects in the Northwest, one nonfederal nuclear plant, and several small nonfederal power plants. BPA supports over 15,000 miles of transmission lines across Washington, Oregon, Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, and California, delivering energy to the Pacific Northwest and beyond.
BPA's commitment to minimising unplanned power outages was demonstrated during a scheduled midnight outage, where BPA's Olympia District conducted maintenance on the Port Angeles-Sappho No. 1 115-kv line. BPA's teams also enhanced reliability by moving wood pole structures away from the edge of a steep cliff.
BPA Transmission Services provides the delivery of energy across 15,000 miles of high-voltage facilities. They work with federal and state agencies, tribes, landowners, and the public to protect endangered species, cultural resources, and reduce impacts on the environment. BPA provides educational resources and programs to teachers and students from grades K-12.
BPA also takes advantage of scheduled outages to complete other crucial work. For example, their Substation Maintenance teams performed essential maintenance on disconnects at their Sappho and Port Angeles substations, with assistance from the Olympia Substation crew. The Kitsap System Protection and Control team conducted in-service testing on the relays, ensuring the line protection systems were operational.
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GridWise Olympic Peninsula Demonstration
The GridWise Olympic Peninsula Demonstration was a year-long smart grid research project that aimed to study price-responsive household technology, dynamic electricity pricing, and consumer behaviour. The project was conducted by PNNL for the DOE Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability (now the Office of Electricity [OE]) in Washington's Olympic Peninsula, as well as in the cities of Yakima, Washington, and Gresham, Oregon.
The GridWise project established a unique transactive retail market with real-time prices changing every five minutes. The market coordinated residential, commercial, and municipal loads to manage distribution capacity constraints and respond to regional wholesale price fluctuations. More than 100 residential customers were given various contract agreements to understand how they might adjust their energy use based on price changes. The options included a transactive real-time price, time-of-use rate with critical peak pricing, and a traditional flat rate.
The demonstration was also a test of consumer behaviour, aiming to understand if constant monitoring of energy consumption would encourage people to save energy. In the Olympic Peninsula, 112 homes were equipped with digital thermostats, and computer controllers were attached to water heaters and clothes dryers. These devices were connected to the Internet, allowing homeowners to set their preferred temperature ranges.
The GridWise Olympic Peninsula Project highlighted the value of combining smart grid end-use technology with retail price signals to create new opportunities for distribution utilities. However, it also revealed that distribution utilities often implement smart grid technologies solely to reduce operating costs without fully exploring the potential of projects like GridWise. Regulatory changes are necessary to incentivize utilities to pursue business opportunities that enhance the customer experience and create value beyond cost reduction.
The project also demonstrated the benefits of technology that automates customer responses to real-time prices. These technologies can help manage short-term power fluctuations caused by large-scale integration of clean wind energy, reducing carbon emissions without impacting consumer comfort. Everyday household appliances with Grid Friendly™ sensors can detect and respond to imminent grid stability issues by delaying non-essential consumption for a short duration.
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Olympic Electric
The company has worked with a range of clients, including the City of Port Angeles, for whom they installed a new civic field scoreboard, and Douglas County PUD, for whom they performed distribution and substation fibre splicing. Olympic Electric has also recently completed a transmission/distribution rebuild project and is currently working on a substation project for Clallam County PUD.
In addition to Olympic Electric, there are other entities involved in providing electricity to the Olympic Peninsula. The Bonneville Power Administration (BPA), for example, supports over 15,000 miles of transmission lines across multiple states, including Washington, where the Olympic Peninsula is located. BPA markets wholesale electrical power from a variety of sources and delivers energy across the Pacific Northwest and beyond. They work closely with various agencies, tribes, landowners, and the public to protect cultural resources, reduce impacts, and promote sustainability.
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Cross-Strait power cable project
The Cross-Strait power cable project, also known as the Juan de Fuca Cable Project, is a proposed initiative to increase energy capacity and reliability for the Olympic Peninsula and the entire Northwest region. The project involves the installation of a 550-megawatt enclosed cable, spanning 19 miles (31 km) under the Strait of Juan de Fuca. This cable would establish a connection between Port Angeles, Washington, in the United States, and Victoria, British Columbia, in Canada.
The project is being led by Sea Breeze Power Corp., a company based in Vancouver, B.C. Paul Manson, the company's president and CEO, has emphasized the benefits of the project, including greater energy security and the ability to receive electricity from two directions. The cable would link the U.S. power grid with renewable energy sources from Vancouver Island, such as wind and solar power.
One of the key advantages of the project is the increased reliability it would offer to Clallam County, which currently relies predominantly on the Bonneville Power Administration for its electricity supply. Additionally, the project includes plans to upgrade transmission lines from Port Angeles to Shelton and from Victoria to south-central Vancouver Island.
The Cross-Strait power cable project has received significant support, including a letter of support from the PUD commission. It has also obtained the necessary permits, including a U.S. presidential permit and a final environmental impact statement from both the U.S. and Canada. The total estimated cost of the project is $650 million, but it is projected to generate $134 billion in savings.
Olympic Electric, a full-service electrical contractor in Clallam County, WA, is recognized for its contributions to the region's energy infrastructure. While it is unclear if they are directly involved in the Cross-Strait power cable project, their experience and expertise in electrical projects position them as a valuable asset for such initiatives.
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Clean Energy Transformation Act (CETA)
In May 2019, Washington state Governor Jay Inslee signed the Clean Energy Transformation Act (CETA) into law. CETA applies to all electric utilities serving retail customers in Washington State and sets specific milestones for achieving 100% clean electricity. The act sets Washington on a gradual path from 2019 to 2045 to achieve this goal, with utilities required to submit an interim performance report by July 1, 2026, to demonstrate progress toward the greenhouse gas-neutral standard.
CETA requires that equity considerations become an explicit part of utility planning. Utilities must assess the potential impacts of their decisions on vulnerable populations and highly impacted communities. Vulnerable populations refer to communities facing a disproportionate risk from environmental burdens due to socioeconomic and biological factors. Highly impacted communities are geographic areas affected by fossil fuels and climate change, including those located on tribal lands.
To ensure a fair transition, utilities must provide a public process for receiving feedback on their plans and describe how public comments are reflected in their approved plans. They must also improve energy assistance programs for low-income households by implementing measures to reduce the energy burden. CETA supports Washington workers and businesses by offering tax incentives for clean energy projects that employ women, minorities, or veteran-owned businesses, as well as businesses that comply with wage laws and hire local workers or offer apprenticeships.
The GridWise project, conducted on Washington's Olympic Peninsula, is an example of managing energy consumption and prices. It established a transactive retail market with real-time prices, allowing customers to adjust their energy use based on price changes. This project helped manage power fluctuations and reduce carbon emissions without impacting comfort or requiring power plants to ramp up and down.
Companies like Olympic Electric, a full-service electrical contractor in Clallam County, WA, are also contributing to the transition to clean energy. With over 63 years of experience, they have completed transmission/distribution rebuild projects and are committed to offering responsive and high-quality service.
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Frequently asked questions
The Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) provides electricity to the Olympic Peninsula.
The Bonneville Power Administration markets wholesale electrical power from federal hydroelectric projects, a nonfederal nuclear plant, and several small nonfederal power plants.
The GridWise project established a first-of-its-kind transactive retail market with real-time prices on five-minute intervals. It was conducted by PNNL for the DOE Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability.
The Juan de Fuca cable project is a proposed 550-megawatt enclosed cable that would provide the North Olympic Peninsula with reliable electricity from renewable sources.
Clallam County Public Utility District (Clallam County PUD) is a medium-sized Washington utility company that provides electricity to the Olympic Peninsula.
