CEDS meeting yields positive news for the county

DAYTON—The annual Port of Columbia Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) meeting held last week highlighted significant ongoing and potentially new projects for Columbia County.

Billikin Energy Center Consultant Michael Mullaly provided an overview of a dual-fuel combustion turbine generator facility for a site on the Snake River west of Starbuck. The proposed half-billion-dollar peaker power plant will boost power during high demand or power grid emergencies. There are 1,200 such facilities nationwide.

If built, the facility will tie in to the BPA Central Ferry substation and provide additional power to Pacific Northwest utilities, such as PGE, Avista, BPA, and PSE, as needed.

“There is a need to be able to call on a plant like this when either the wind is not blowing or when demand exceeds supply,” he said.

Mullaly explained that natural gas and power from Washington state will fuel the 342-megawatt facility. In turn, it will produce enough electricity to power 342,000 homes.

The rationale for locating the plant in Columbia County is its proximity to Highway 261, undisturbed grazing land with industrial zoning, access to the TransCanada interstate natural gas pipeline, and rail access for biodiesel delivery.

The permitting process is expected to begin in the first quarter of 2026. Mullaly said construction will take 2 to 3 years and will provide approximately 140 jobs. When the plant is fully operational by 2029 or 2030, it will employ 4 to 8 operations and maintenance personnel.

City of Dayton Public Works Director Ryan Paulson spoke about the $2.7 million Main Street Restriping and Reconfiguration Project. When completed, there will be one lane going in each direction with a center turn lane throughout town, he said.

Rapid-flashing beacons will be installed at Front St., First St., Third St., and Fourth St. Sidewalks on the Main Street Bridge will be widened, and bike lanes will be installed. Restriping will be done in 2026. The project will be paid for with a 95% grant and a 5% match from the City of Dayton.

Katie Leid updated stakeholders regarding the Parks and Recreation Pool District and progress on building a community pool. See the Times newspaper dated Oct. 16, for details.

The Port’s Executive Director, Jennie Dickinson, provided updates on Blue Mountain Station, the short line railroad, Lyons Ferry Marina, tourism, and broadband. She also praised city and county employees for completing the Fourth St. paving project and for plans to pave the entire Touchet River levee trail.

She also discussed economic indicators, stating news from the state employment security department was good. The unemployment rate is only 4.2 percent, she said.

Dickinson said, “It made me feel so good about how well we are doing compared to the beginning of my career 25 years ago. Things really are better here. It’s still challenging, but they really are better.”

The tax base has declined, which Dickinson attributes to the devaluation of Columbia Pulp and depreciation assessments of the wind farms.

“That is not the direction we want to go because what that means is our tax rates go up,” she said. “I’d say our county is ready for the Billikin renewable energy project at Starbuck. We could use another tax base boost.”

The birth rate, both nationally and locally, is plummeting.

“Our future workforce is in question,” she quipped.

Housing in the county remains affordable. According to Dickinson, the median sales price for houses in 2025 was $277,900.

Dickinson identified eight pressures on the overall economy: competition with other states and population decline due to tax policy uncertainty; water quality and quantity; troubled insurance markets; monetary policy; federal trade policy; immigration policy; federal fiscal policy; and energy demand vs. supply.

At the end of the meeting, Dickinson reviewed the updated CEDS projects with the meeting’s attendees, who voted on which would top their wish list for Columbia County.

Number one is the Dayton Pool and Community Center.

Tied at number two were the Touchet Valley Trail/Walking Paths/Biking Path, and Affordable Housing/Workforce Housing/Mixed Use/2nd Floor Downtown Apartments/Temporary & Emergency.

Main Street Safety (flashing lights for pedestrians, adjusting traffic lanes) came in third.