Coordinated Dam Operations May Boost Grid Flexibility in Pacific Northwest

A study by the National Laboratory of the Rockies and Grant PUD models how coordinating operations across seven Mid-Columbia dams could improve system-wide efficiency and energy storage. The analysis, funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, examines whether the benefits to utilities and the public justify the costs of collaboration. The Mid-Columbia cascade, with multiple owners, serves as a test case for broader Western Interconnection coordination.