Portland General Electric has signed a landmark energy agreement that could bring one of the largest clean energy investments in tribal history to the Warm Springs Reservation — an $850 million solar and battery storage project developed in partnership with the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs.
The Salmonfly Project
PGE disclosed the project, named "Salmonfly," during its third-quarter 2026 earnings call late last week. The utility signed a build-transfer agreement for the facility, which will include 199 megawatts of solar generation paired with 199 megawatts of battery energy storage. The combination allows the project to deliver clean power day and night — not just during peak sunlight hours — making it far more valuable to the grid than solar-only installations.
BrightNight, a renewable energy developer, is identified as the project builder in an Oregon Public Utility Commission filing dated October 21, 2026. Under a build-transfer structure, BrightNight will construct the facility and then transfer ownership to PGE upon completion.
What It Means for Warm Springs
The Warm Springs Reservation sits in a high-desert region of Central Oregon with exceptional solar resources — long days, minimal cloud cover, and open terrain ideal for utility-scale photovoltaic arrays. For the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, who have long sought economic opportunities aligned with their stewardship of the land, the project represents a potentially transformative source of long-term revenue.
Large-scale energy projects on reservation land typically include lease payments, tribal employment preferences during construction and operation, and ongoing royalties negotiated between the tribe and the developer. The Tribes have not yet issued a public statement detailing the specifics of their agreement with BrightNight or PGE.
At $850 million in anticipated investment, the Salmonfly project would rank among the largest infrastructure projects in Jefferson County history — and among the most significant commercial energy developments on Oregon tribal land.
Part of PGE's Clean Energy Push
The Salmonfly announcement came alongside a separate PGE disclosure of Biglow Canyon Phase 2, a solar addition to an existing wind farm in Sherman County. Together, the two projects represent approximately $1.75 billion in new Oregon clean energy investment announced by PGE in its third-quarter earnings report.
PGE serves more than 900,000 customers across Oregon and has committed to deep greenhouse gas reductions in the coming years, driving significant investment in renewable generation and long-duration storage.
The build-transfer agreement remains subject to Oregon Public Utility Commission approval. A construction start date and project timeline have not been publicly announced. The Madras Bulletin will continue following this story as details emerge.