Electricity project gets boost from Chinese company

YAKIMA, Wash. – Plans for a proposed $2.5 billion reservoir system to generate power south of Goldendale have found an unlikely partner: a Chinese hydropower company.

The project is billed as a large-scale energy storage facility that could help utilities across the Northwest and California get the most value out of the growing supply of wind and solar power.

The Yakima Herald-Republic (http://bit.ly/1RYb6yJ ) says the project has struggled to find financing and the Klickitat County Public Utility District, put the proposal on hold earlier this year.

But new interest from a company called HydroChina has prompted the utility this week to restart the license application process.

HydroChina Corp. is one of several companies that make up PowerChina. It is involved in energy projects in more than 100 countries.