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Work May Expand FCRPS Capacity by 800 MW, Staffing Shortage Slowing Progress by K.C. Mehaffey NW Fishletter, December 10, 2025

Replacing old turbines with ones that are more fish friendly
and more efficient, resulting in higher generating capacity.

A 20-year portfolio of capital projects that are planned or currently underway at federal hydroelectric projects in the Columbia Basin could increase capacity of the Federal Columbia River Power System by more than 800 MW.

The Bonneville Power Administration's 2025 Annual Report describes the continuing progress of projects that are being completed in partnership with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Bureau of Reclamation.

That progress was also a highlight of BPA's year-end quarterly business review on Nov. 13.

"Our federal hydro capital program continues to grow, and we are making significant investments to improve reliability, efficiency and capacity of the FCRPS," said Suzanne Cooper, BPA deputy administrator and chief operating officer.

Major capital projects include installing new generating units and replacing old turbines with ones that are more fish friendly and more efficient, resulting in higher generating capacity.

BPA's annual report, released Nov. 14, says the agency deployed $261.8 million in the power sector's direct capital expenses in fiscal year 2025, an increase of $15.9 million compared to FY 2024.

Work on the FY 2025 capital projects was $17.8 million above BPA's midpoint target, due to stronger than anticipated execution, Tom McDonald, BPA executive vice president and chief financial officer, said at the QBR. "Several large projects are underway including McNary [Dam] turbine design and replacement, and John Day [Dam] turbine runners and generator rewinds to name a couple," he said.

"The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is executing especially well, while the Bureau of Reclamation is struggling with personnel shortages," he added, noting that contracted work also contributed to the high execution.

NW Fishletter reached out to the Corps and BuRec to compile a list of capital projects underway in the FCRPS.

• Libby Dam, Montana: A sixth generating unit is being installed which will add 120 MW when it goes into service in March 2027.

• Dworshak Dam, Idaho: A new generating unit is being designed to add between 200 and 300 MW.

• Ice Harbor Dam, Washington: Voith Hydro is working to complete a $149 million contract to supply, design and install three turbines -- including one with fixed blades and two with adjustable blades -- to replace the original units that have been in place since 1962.

  (bluefish notes: the original contract for three turbines was $73 million. Costs running twice the original contract is apparently not uncommon on the Lower Snake River, perhaps throughout the USACE contracting in the Pacific Northwest.)

• McNary Dam, Washington: In 2018, the Corps awarded Alstom Renewable U.S. a $321.3 million contract to design, manufacture and install 14 new turbines at McNary Dam. The replacements -- which include both fixed-blade and adjustable blade runners -- are slated to begin in 2026 and expected to take 10 to 15 years.

• John Day Dam, Washington: The Corps expects to award a contract in 2028 to replace the turbines, which were installed when the dam was constructed between 1968 and 1971.

"Efficiency projects such as these can be even more beneficial than capacity increases, especially when water is scarce, because they allow units to generate more energy with the same amount of water," he added.

Kerry Solan, a spokesperson for the Corps, told NW Fishletter that the aging turbines at John Day Dam have increased the frequency of forced outages for the last several years.

"During Fiscal Year 2025, amount of time that turbines at John Day Dam were unexpectedly out of service this year was a little higher than we wanted it to be (15% vs. 12%)," she said in an email.

However, generation at John Day Dam was higher in FY 2025 compared to the prior two years, at 7,233 GWh. The annual long-term average generation at the dam is 7,454 GWh, she said.

Reduction in forced outages of federal hydropower is the only target BPA did not meet in FY 2025, although there were fewer outages compared to FY 2024, according to the year-end QBR.

Cooper said the main drivers for missing the target in BPA's fourth quarter were extended outages at Grand Coulee Dam and John Day Dam.

"Staffing issues at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Bureau of Reclamation are impacting this target, along with long lead times for materials," she said, adding, "Until the hiring needs of our federal generating partners can be met, the fed system will likely continue to experience longer unit outages compared to the return-of-service time under previous staffing levels."

Both BuRec and the Corps lost employees earlier this year during the U.S. Department of Government Efficiency firings and early retirements.

McDonald said that BPA's total capital expenditures hit a record high of $1.08 billion, which included transmission services that were below target but within 1 percent of the midpoint target.

That target was reset midyear due to the impacts of executive orders and the voluntary early retirement and deferred resignation programs. "This resulted in four weeks of contract pauses, lost project managers, impacts to environment, realty and supply chain support, and delays due to the [National Environmental Policy Act] pause," he said.

"Despite that, transmission was able to finish the year strong, exceeding the FY 2024 total," he said. Some of the capital projects completed in transmission included the newly constructed Longhorn Substation in north-central Oregon and the Pearl-Sherwood-McLoughlin transmission line upgrade.

In an email to NW Fishletter, BuRec spokesperson Michael Coffey listed several capital projects that were completed or are currently underway at Grand Coulee Dam, including major power transformer upgrades to improve reliability; the replacement of four cranes that have been in service for more than 70 years; and the completion of an upgrade to the controls and safety system at the dam's largest powerhouse.

Coffey noted that Unit G19 was taken out of service at Grand Coulee Dam in March 2024 after staff discovered equipment issues that required a full outage to safely address.

"As crews began work, additional age-related components were found that also needed repair or refurbishment. These units are operating at the end of their recommended service life, some of the parts in need of repair require specialized work and cannot be replaced from stock, which has extended the overall timeline," she said.

Related Sites:
Biden-Harris Administration Releases Report Highlighting Historic and Ongoing Negative Impacts of Federal Columbia River Dams on Tribal Communities Department of Interior, 6/18/24
United States Government's Analysis of the Impacts of Federal Dams on Columbia Basin Tribes Restores the Rule of Law and Supports Immediate Action to Prevent Salmon Extinction Nez Perce Tribe, 6/18/24
Northwest RiverPartners on establishment of Columbia River Task Force, report from Interior Department Northwest RiverPartners, 6/18/24