The $2.6 billion construction cost of Cat Creek Energy & Water is labor intensive with more than 20,000 full time equivalent jobs during the multiyear construction phase. Economic models provided by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory indicate more than $1 billion in construction wages for the Pumped Storage, Wind and Solar modules.
During its projected 100-year operational lifetime, the facility is expected to generate an annual payroll of more than $7 million dollars. Those wages combine with local revenues and supply chain and induced impacts to total more than $70 million in annual impacts from the operation of CCEW.
It is widely acknowledged that the fast-growing renewable energy sector is the future of work in the energy industry. The high number of high wage construction and operational jobs created by CCEW positions will allow the region to invest in training for this sector, ensuring that Idaho workers have competitive skills.