Lower Snake River Dam Replacement Study – Energy Strategies
Lower Snake River Dam Replacement StudyDownload
Topics: Fish & Wildlife
Salmon and steelhead are icons of the Pacific Northwest – important to both the region’s culture and economy. Yet many runs in the Columbia River Basin are listed as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act. Hydroelectric dams that harness the Columbia and Snake Rivers for power production are the biggest killers of these fish and threaten other fish and wildlife. By striking a balance between dams, energy and salmon, we can enjoy clean energy, wild salmon, and healthy fish and wildlife populations.
Addressing the Lower Snake River Dams’ Peaking Capacity
The Coalition released a short paper addressing the lower Snake River dams’ sustained peaking capacity. The paper analyzes operational data of the four federally-owned lower Snake River dams in Eastern Washington to determine how much the dams contribute to sustained peaking capacity for Bonneville Power Administration customers. The paper’s high-level look at the operational data shows […]
Smart Planning Will Drive Replacing the Power from Lower Snake River Dams
The Coalition released a white paper addressing the replacement of energy services from the lower Snake River dams. The paper examines the power system planning that utilities do regularly in the context of the lower Snake River dams power replacement discussion. The power system plans for retirement of generating resources all the time and regularly issues […]
Regional electric system and demand management make the difference during California heatwave
Lower Snake River dams not critical – clean energy solutions will cover peak demand and protect salmon August is usually a time to take things easy, maybe go on vacation and enjoy our beautiful Northwest. But sometimes the weather just doesn’t cooperate. This year, that was the case in the middle of August, when a […]
May 2020 Northwest Energy Update
May 2020 Northwest Energy Update NW Utilities’ COVID-19 Response The Coalition’s effort to persuade utilities to suspend service shut-offs during the coronavirus crisis has been quite successful, especially among the region’s largest utilities many of which are also increasing support for bill assistance and reconnecting those whose service may have been shut off before the […]
Coalition finds DEIS energy analysis inadequate and misleading, calls for new study
The following is a summary of the formal comments the NW Energy Coalition is submitting on April 13, 2020 in response to the Columbia River System Operations Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS). You can download this summary and the full comment. The NW Energy Coalition and partners, including the Idaho Conservation League and the National […]
Utilities, environmental groups ask NW governors to address Snake River salmon issue
The NW Energy Coalition joins group in calling for regional dialogue SEATTLE, WASHINGTON — In a letter to the Governors of Washington, Idaho, Montana, and Oregon, energy company and conservation community leaders called on elected officials across the Pacific Northwest to prioritize collaborative solutions to address the issues surrounding the Lower Snake River, including the […]
OPALCO Board Rescinds Resolution Opposing Dam Removal
Today, the Orcas Power and Light Cooperative board of directors unanimously rescinded a resolution passed last September in which the board expressed its opposition to removal of four lower Snake River dams as well as the now ongoing Washington stakeholder process that is exploring the social and economic implications of possible dam removal. Confronted with […]
The Coalition reacts to the lower Snake River draft EIS
The NW Energy Coalition offered the following statement in response to the recent release of the Columbia River System Operations draft EIS. The Columbia River System Operations draft environmental impact statement (DEIS) offers a clean energy replacement portfolio, which confirms the primary finding of the NW Energy Coalition’s 2018 Lower Snake River Dams Power Replacement Study, that clean, renewable […]
A simple choice to save salmon and orcas
In a recent letter to the editor of Orcas Issues News & Views, Lopez Island resident, Michael Karp, said of removing four lower Snake River dams, “. . . orcas here in the Salish Sea would have the best overall chance of survival by benefitting from the increases of endangered and threatened salmon and steelhead […]