Feds approve $2B Goldendale project on Yakama sacred site
Federal energy regulators last week approved a roughly $2 billion renewable energy project on a Yakama Nation sacred site overlooking the Columbia River in Klickitat County, according to reporting by The Columbian. The 40-year federal license allows the Goldendale Energy Storage Project to move toward construction, though opponents have 30 days to challenge the decision in court, according to Simone Anter, senior staff attorney at Columbia Riverkeeper. Erik Steimle, who is leading the project for Rye Development, said construction could begin in 2027.
Yakama leaders and environmental groups oppose the project, which would transform the hillside known as Pushpum into a pumped storage hydropower facility. Yakama Tribal Council Chairman Gerald Lewis called the approval “rewarding bad actors,” while Elaine Harvey, a member of the Yakama’s Kamíłpa Band, told The Columbian the project would cause “a total desecration of our sacred site.”
Help us keep the fire burning, make a donation to Buffalo’s Fire
For everyone who cares about transparency in Native affairs: We exist to illuminate tribal government. Our work bridges the gap left by tribal-controlled media and non-Native, extractive journalism, providing the insights necessary for truly informed decision-making and a better quality of life. Because the consequences of restricted press freedom affect our communities every day, our trauma-informed reporting is rooted in a deep, firsthand expertise.
Every gift helps keep the fire burning. A monthly contribution makes the biggest impact. Cancel anytime.