In a decision that has ignited fierce opposition from Indigenous leaders and environmental advocates, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) on Jan. 22 issued a 40-year license to build the Goldendale Energy Pumped Storage Project, a 1,200-megawatt energy storage facility southeast of Goldendale in Klickitat County, Wash.
The project, developed by Rye Development, represents one of the largest new pumped-storage energy ventures in the United States in more than a decade. Proponents describe it as a critical addition to the regional grid that could store and release electricity to serve roughly 500,000 homes during peak demand.
But the approval has drawn rebukes from the Yakama Nation and 17 Tribal Governments in addition to the National Congress of American Indians and Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians, who argue the licensing process ignored deep cultural, ecological and sovereignty concerns tied to the site — known to the Yakama Nation and other tribes as Pushpum.
For the Yakama Nation, Pushpum is not an abstract place name but a living cultural landscape that is embedded in lifeways protected by the 1855 Yakama Treaty. The high plateau and surrounding lands have long been used for first foods harvesting, including roots and medicines, as well as for hunting, seasonal camps and spiritual practices passed down through generations.
Tribal Leaders Decry Process and Cultural Threat
In an official press release, Yakama Nation Tribal Council Chairman Gerald Lewis called the decision a failure to fully account for “damage costs” and harms to Yakama resources, saying developers “know it’s wrong”, adding, “If a small Christian shrine sat on this site the decision-makers would understand what ‘sacred’ means”.
“Today, federal agencies are rewarding bad actors who have spent years finding loop-holes to target a new wave of industrial development on top of indigenous sites that have religious and legendary significance to the Yakama People and many others who don’t have political connections or deep pockets” said Lewis.
The Yakama statement stressed that years of environmental review and Tribal outreach failed to prevent what the Nation sees as irreversible loss of culturally important lands. Lewis and other tribal representatives contend that federal regulators did not meaningfully incorporate tribal consultation, leaving long-standing treaty and trust obligations unmet.
Environmental advocates, including Columbia Riverkeeper and American Rivers, echoed similar criticisms. In a detailed statement, Columbia Riverkeeper said FERC’s environmental analysis was incomplete and that tribal governments were effectively sidelined in negotiations.
“Today’s decision only re-affirms that FERC ignores blatant racism and threatens the constitutional power of long-held treaties between the United States and Tribal nations to prioritize the interests of international companies’ profits,” said Alyssa Macy, chief executive of Washington Conservation Action, in remarks included in the Riverkeeper release.
Energy Policy Meets Indigenous Sovereignty Dispute
The Goldendale project employs a closed-loop pumped storage system, cycling water between upper and lower reservoirs through underground turbines. Construction and operations on this scale typically require FERC licensing under the Federal Power Act, a process intended to balance energy, environmental and community interests.
But for tribes whose homelands were carved up through 19th-century treaties, including the Yakama Nation, the issue is less technical than constitutional and cultural. They say that even statutory consultation mechanisms under the National Historic Preservation Act and other federal laws have been applied in ways that fall short of meaningful engagement.
Environmental groups also argue that the project threatens sensitive ecological systems — including wetlands, groundwater resources and rare plant species — and that mitigation measures outlined in FERC’s final environmental impact statement underestimate long-term impacts.
Although FERC’s license cleared a major regulatory hurdle, opponents still have legal and administrative avenues to challenge the decision. According to Columbia Riverkeeper’s statement, there is a 30-day window to petition FERC for rehearing, after which appeals in federal court may proceed. Additionally, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and state agencies must complete other permitting steps, including under the Clean Water Act, which hold their own consultation requirements with tribal nations.
