BEYOND THE WIRES: Big Eddy-Knight Transmission Line

The Big Eddy-Knight project, a 28-mile transmission line completed in 2015 by the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA), utilized a proactive settlement agreement with the Friends of the Columbia River Gorge (FOCG) to mitigate environmental impacts and reduce litigation risk. While the agreement established a $1.78 million mitigation fund primarily used for land conservation and some utility upgrades, it faced criticism from local landowners and Klickitat County officials who felt the benefits did not directly address the impacts on those most affected by the project's footprint. The project also involved complex consultations with the Yakama Nation and other Tribes, leading to route adjustments to protect cultural resources, including a cave with ancient drawings.

• BPA proactively negotiated a settlement agreement with the Friends of the Columbia River Gorge (FOCG) to establish goodwill and mitigate risks of future litigation, despite FOCG not having initiated any legal action.
• The settlement agreement created a $1.78 million mitigation fund managed by BPA, with FOCG authorized to recommend projects. Funds were primarily used for land conservation acquisitions, though some were later used to remove 44 utility poles and reconstruct a power line near the Klickitat River.
• Local community members and Klickitat County officials expressed dissatisfaction with the settlement, arguing that the benefits were not tangibly felt by those most impacted and that funds were spent on conservation far from the project site rather than direct mitigation like undergrounding lines.
• BPA faced significant challenges with landowner compensation due to its limited ability to pay above fair market value, leading to the use of eminent domain for several properties.
• Engagement with the Yakama Nation led to project delays and redesigns to protect cultural resources, including the adjustment of tower locations and access roads after the discovery of a cave containing human-like drawings.

APA

Manitius, N., Pavia, N., & Harrington, A. (2025). BEYOND THE WIRES: Big Eddy-Knight Transmission Line. Clean Air Task Force. https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/07155435/final-EDF-CATF_BigEddyKnight-Report.pdf

Chicago

Manitius, Natalie, Nicole Pavia, and Annika Harrington. BEYOND THE WIRES: Big Eddy-Knight Transmission Line. Clean Air Task Force, 2025. https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/07155435/final-EDF-CATF_BigEddyKnight-Report.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Manitius |first1=Natalie |last2=Pavia |first2=Nicole |last3=Harrington |first3=Annika |title=BEYOND THE WIRES: Big Eddy-Knight Transmission Line |publisher=Clean Air Task Force |date=November 2025 |url=https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/07155435/final-EDF-CATF_BigEddyKnight-Report.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{manitius2025beyond, author = {Manitius, Natalie and Pavia, Nicole and Harrington, Annika}, title = {{BEYOND THE WIRES: Big Eddy-Knight Transmission Line}}, institution = {Clean Air Task Force}, year = {2025}, month = nov, url = {https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/07155435/final-EDF-CATF_BigEddyKnight-Report.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }