Yakima Times

Hydroelectric dams play a crucial role in supplying the Pacific Northwest with nearly 90 percent of its renewable energy. In Central Washington, these carbon-free sources are vital for the region's energy grid and provide additional benefits such as transportation, barging, and irrigation.

In recent years, there has been significant pressure on American energy production. The effort to breach the four Lower Snake River dams has been particularly contentious. "Specifically, the Columbia River Taskforce and their reports outlining an operational breach of these critical pieces of infrastructure would threaten our livelihoods and ability to respond to increased power demand," stated a local representative.

The current Congress is focused on strengthening energy sources and maintaining dams as essential infrastructure. Last week, legislation known as the Northwest Energy Security Act was reintroduced to ensure that the Lower Snake River dams remain operational. This legislation aims to codify that the government will operate under the 2020 Columbia River System Operations Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), which concluded that breaching the dams was unnecessary.

The initiative is supported by a coalition of representatives from both the House and Senate. "In the House, I was proud to have Representatives Michael Baumgartner (WA-05), Cliff Bentz (OR-02), and Russ Fulcher (ID-01) join me in introducing the legislation," said a leading proponent. Additionally, Senator Jim Risch from Idaho introduced companion legislation in the Senate with support from several other senators.

Local stakeholder groups such as TRIDEC, Northwest RiverPartners, Public Power Council, and Washington Wheat Growers have also expressed their support for maintaining these critical infrastructures.

"As we move into a new era of energy policy in Congress," remarked one legislator involved in this effort, "I will be working with our coalition to elevate our dams as a prime example of clean, reliable, and affordable base-load power for other parts of the country to follow."