TACOMA, Wash. – Tacoma Power was one of 66 hydro facilities in the country to receive hydroelectric production incentives from the Department of Energy for electricity generated at the North Fork Skokomish Powerhouse in 2021 and 2022, for $1.1M. The North Fork Skokomish Powerhouse in Hoodsport, WA, is part of the Cushman hydro project. The clean, renewable hydroelectric energy it generates gets to Tacoma on a 40-mile-long transmission line that stretches across the Tacoma Narrows.
The Hydroelectric Production Incentive Program was authorized by Congress through Section 242 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005. Led by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), the program provides incentive payments to qualified hydroelectric facilities for electricity generated and sold to support the continued operation of the U.S. hydropower fleet and ensure a more reliable and resilient electric grid system.
“This program helped enable our investment in this renewable hydropower resource and this funding will allow us to continue to make vital improvements to our infrastructure that will ensure continued reliability even as demand for clean electricity grows into the future,” said Chris Mattson, generation manager.
Tacoma Public Utilities wants to thank Senator Patty Murray, Senator Maria Cantwell, Representative Derek Kilmer, Representative Marilyn Strickland, Representative Adam Smith, and Representative Kim Schrier for supporting this program.
