BPA drops plan for Oregon-Washington transmission line

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) – The Bonneville Power Administration has scrapped its controversial plan to build a high-voltage transmission line near Portland, Oregon.

BPA Administrator Elliot Mainzer announced the decision Thursday, citing the increasing cost and other factors.

The 80-mile-long, 500-kilovolt line would have run from Castle Rock, Washington, to Troutdale, Oregon.

The BPA said the line, first announced in 2009, was necessary to help meet growing demand for power in the Northwest.

Mainzer said Bonneville now believes it can meet demand without building the line.

The plan had long been unpopular with property owners along the route. They worried about their health and property values.