Wind and Water: Just as Nature Intended

Environmental groups have long advocated for dam removal as a way to bolster “flagging” salmon runs. This approach would be devastating to ratepayers and is shortsighted, as evidence shows that increasing ocean temperatures, natural predators and over fishing are major contributors to fish mortality.

For more than a decade environmentalists, sports fishing groups and tribal entities have specifically targeted four hydroelectric dams for removal along the Lower Snake River in Eastern Washington. These hydro projects – Little Goose, Lower Granite, Lower Monumental and Ice Harbor Dams – are responsible for 5-7% of the region’s power supply.

These projects also help prevent flooding, provide irrigation of farmland, and allow navigation services for goods making their way to global markets via the river. These dams and others are responsible for lowering green house gas emissions by keeping trucks off the roads when transporting goods, and generating electricity from clean, renewable water instead of fossil fuels, like coal and natural gas.

With a multitude of new renewable projects being built in the Northwest, the dams along the Lower Snake River and others provide yet another valuable service: helping to make new wind projects a reality by being a firm source of electricity. One must then ask the question why environmentalists are trying to remove the very dams that make their renewable energy dreams come true?

Wind generation is “intermittent,” which means it cannot be counted on to deliver a constant supply of electricity. When the wind blows, that energy can be fed into the grid to help meet electricity demands. When wind doesn’t blow, water stored behind the dams can be used to meet the demand. It’s the perfect partnership of nature’s elements.

Wind is the most popular renewable energy source in the Northwest at the moment. More than 1,400 megawatts (MW) of new wind projects have come on line since 1998. According to the Northwest Power and Conservation Council (NPCC), the agency responsible for long-term resource planning for the region, another 360 MW will be finished in 2007, and 1,200 MW are planned for completion by 2009. At 3,200 MW, this will represent 5-7% of the total generation capacity for the region. The NPCC cautions that more firm power sources, like hydro, will need to be developed as new wind projects come on line to make this renewable resource viable for the region.

Save Our Wild Salmon (SOWS) is working to introduce a bill in the U.S. Congress that seeks to remove the very same amount of power that could be used to support renewable wind projects in the region. The Salmon Economic Analysis & Planning Act (SeaPA) seeks to “study,” yet again, the impacts of removing the four dams on the Lower Snake River – clearly a one-sided study that leaves out many important factors. While it is clear to many that this bill will work to justify dam removal, others are wondering if the environmental community might be shooting themselves in the proverbial foot with their most current efforts in Congress.