Jurisdictional and non-jurisdictional entities are forming a single transmission planning region – NorthernGrid – that will facilitate regional transmission planning. Replacing ColumbiaGrid and Northern Tier with a single planning region enables:

• One common set of data and assumptions
• More opportunities to identify “regional” transmission projects
• Single stakeholder forum
• Eliminates duplicative administrative processes

NorthernGrid is intended to facilitate compliance with FERC requirements (including Order Nos. 890 and 1000) for those utilities that are required (or elect) to comply with such requirements, including cost allocation, when applicable.

Participants include Bonneville Power Administration, investor-owned utilities, and consumer-owned utilities located in California, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming.

NorthernGrid will launch January 1, 2020.