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Darvin Fales of Columbia Basin Hydropower: Prospects for the Banks Lake Pumped Storage Project
A 3-D rendering of the underground powerhouse of the proposed Banks Lake Project.
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olumbia Basin Hydropower was established in the 1980s to allow the three Columbia Basin Project irrigation districts to develop hydroelectric power stations on their facilities. Today, its seven generating stations have a nameplate capacity of 146 megawatts (MW). In addition to maintaining and operating its existing facilities, Columbia Basin Hydropower is working to build an immense pumped storage project at Banks Lake—in effect, a huge liquid battery that would allow the Pacific Northwest as a whole to make more efficient use of the electrical power it generates. In this interview, Columbia Basin Hydropower Secretary-Manager Darvin Fales speaks with Hydro Leader about the proposed project and the complexities of the federal permitting process.
Darvin Fales: My career on the Columbia Basin Project started in 1985. I graduated from the University of
6 | HYDRO LEADER | September 2020
hydroleadermagazine.com
PHOTOS COURTESY OF KLEINSCHMIDT.
Hydro Leader: Please tell us about your background and how you came to be in your current position at Columbia Basin Hydropower.
Wyoming as an engineer, and my first job was district engineer at the South Columbia Basin Irrigation District (SCBID) in Pasco, Washington. During my 18 years at the SCBID, I was promoted to chief engineer and assistant manager. In 2002–2003, I went through the AgForestry Leadership Program as part of class 24. In 2004, I was offered the secretary-manager position at the Quincy– Columbia Basin Irrigation District (QCBID) in Quincy, Washington. I was the manager there for 15 years. One year ago, I accepted the position of secretary-manager of Columbia Basin Hydropower. In my current position, I report to a six-member board of directors. My responsibility is primarily to implement the board’s policies and directives in the administration and management of seven hydroelectric projects. My duties also include developing asset management plans for the plants and transmission lines; developing the yearly budget; carrying out contract negotiations; negotiating power-purchase contracts; and negotiating contracts
