PR 89 05 BONNEVILLE POWER ADMINISTRATION FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: TUESDAY, Dec. 6, 2005 Contact: Ed Mosey | , BPA (503)-230-5131     Officials to dedicate major new high-voltage electric line Cable improves flow of electricity to I-5 corridor PORTLAND, Ore. - U.S. Department of Energy officials Wednesday will dedicate the new 63-mile $175-million Schultz-Wautoma electric transmission line in central Washington state. The line forms a key energy link to major cities in the Interstate-5 corridor and to southwestern markets. A dedication ceremony will occur in the transmission corridor near Sunnyside, Wash., southeast of Yakima. Kevin Kolevar, director of the Office of Electricity and Energy Assurance of the U.S. Department of Energy, and Steve Wright, administrator of the Bonneville Power Administration, will speak of the importance of the line to electric reliability and the region's economy. "BPA engineers and staff are to be commended for bringing this project in on schedule and on budget," said Kolevar. "It's a prime example of this administration's commitment to improving the reliability of the nation's electric grid." The 500-kilovolt line runs from Schultz Substation north of Ellensburg to the new Wautoma Substation west of the Hanford Reservation in Benton County. It provides more capacity for moving power north and south through central Washington, thereby improving flow between mid-Columbia generators and major east-west power lines. "This line provides more reliable service to meet growing demand in the Northwest," said Wright. "It helps fulfill our commitment to Northwest citizens that they benefit from an electricity system that is the envy of the rest of the world." The project is the third major project completed by BPA in the past five years to reinforce the Northwest's transmission grid. These projects ensure a high level of reliability and are major drivers of a healthy Northwest economy, Wright said. Construction of the line began in March 2004. The line was energized Dec. 5. The dedication ceremony is scheduled to begin at 10:30 a.m. See attached map below. www.bpa.gov/corporate/BPAnews/2005/shultz_directions.pdf Submitted for distribution on 12-06-2005 at 11:17 AM

Bonneville Power Administration, 905 N.E. 11th Avenue, Portland, Oregon 97232 Mailing Address: Media Relations - DM7, P.O. Box 3621, Portland, OR 97208-3621 Phone: (503)230-5131 FAX: (503) 230-5884 Web Site: http://www.bpa.gov