Agreement sets a path to recover salmon and develop new Tribally led clean energy 

On December 14, 2023, a historic agreement was announced by the White House, four Columbia Basin Tribal Nations (Nez Perce, Yakama, Warm Springs, and Umatilla Tribes) and the states of Oregon and Washington, to protect endangered salmon and steelhead on the Columbia River Basin and honor Tribal treaty rights. 

An important component of the agreement centers on federal support to advance Tribal energy development and comprehensive planning and analysis of our regional energy needs. This effort lays the groundwork to prepare the region to make changes to the hydropower system, including on the lower Snake River, to meet its salmon recovery, climate, and clean energy goals. This federal support and strategic planning will help set a path for the region to modernize its energy services, recover salmon and steelhead, all while improving reliability and maintaining affordability for customers. 

The Coalition, along with our allies at Earthjustice and Idaho Conservation League, have developed a couple of factsheets to provide more context on the agreement and the services of the lower Snake River dams during extreme weather conditions like the January 2024 cold snap.