DALLESPORT — On Oct. 29, Klickitat Public Utility District (KPUD) clarified details about where the substation for a proposed data center in Dallesport would be sited if the project moves forward.
KPUD submitted a Line Load and Interconnection Request to the Bonneville Power Administration back in August 2025 on behalf of Core Peninsula LLC, as first reported by the Goldendale Sentinel. It sought 1,000 megawatts worth of transmission capacity, tying into Bonneville’s Big Eddy substation in The Dalles or constructing a new substation near Lyle to access the power.
Columbia Gorge News then covered how Lyle’s Community Council reacted to the discovery, but KPUD announced last Wednesday that any new substation would be located in Dallesport, not Lyle.
“The incorrect location has created confusion and raised concerns among those who have reviewed or received information about the application. KPUD recognizes the importance of providing clear and accurate information regarding proposed developments in our service area and wants to ensure the public has a correct understanding of the location identified in the application,” reads a statement made by KPUD on Facebook.
The substation or Big Eddy connection would power development on nearly 300 acres of land owned by Scott Webster, CEO of The Fruit Company, along the intersection of State Route 14 and U.S. Route 197 in Dallesport.
Erica Diaz, executive assistant to Webster’s The Fruit Company, previously told the Washington State Standard that Webster is continuing to evaluate the property for “data center development and advanced chip manufacturing opportunities,” but that no final development decision has been made.
If all seven known data centers proposed in Klickitat County come to fruition, an additional 5,955.5 megawatts worth of electricity will flow through the county. A KPUD policy from 2012, however, states that large load users have to finance engineering studies to evaluate their proposed electrical connections, alongside the cost of any infrastructure improvements.
“Large developments, such as data centers, would typically be served under an industrial service rate, which is established through a negotiated contract specific to that customer,” a KPUD spokesperson also told Columbia Gorge News back in August. “This contract is structured to ensure that the customer bears the full cost associated with the electric service they require, including any incremental demand placed on the system.”
Additionally, KPUD noted that Bonneville has corrected the information in its records to reflect Dallesport as the proposed substation location.
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