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It’s Time to Talk, Not Fight
On October 14, the state of Oregon restarted litigation regarding the operation of federal dams on the Columbia and Snake rivers. The state’s lawsuit calls for a dramatic reduction in hydropower generation, which has consequences for you and more than 1 million Oregonians who rely on our hydro system for clean, reliable, and affordable electricity.
In response, I signed a letter with my colleagues from Oregon’s other consumer-owned utilities to Gov. Tina Kotek, expressing our concern with this decision and conveying our belief that now is the time to talk rather than fight over hydropower and salmon. The best way to ensure we have a robust salmon population and adequate, clean, reliable electricity is to step out of the courtroom and back to the table. This lengthy, costly, and divisive litigation has the potential to significantly increase electricity bills for Oregonians who can least afford them.
We have never shied away from our responsibility to support salmon recovery in our hydropower system. Through your monthly rates, you are the funders of the world’s largest fish and wildlife mitigation program—1 that shows results and proves that salmon and hydropower can successfully coexist.
But we have the responsibility of keeping your lights on. The actions by the state of Oregon increase the likelihood of brownouts and blackouts by devaluing a hydropower system that serves as a critical lifeline during extreme weather events, such as heat domes and ice storms.
We believe now is the time to come together to chart a sustainable path toward practical solutions that protect salmon and maintain a quality of life for Oregonians who rely on our federal dams for power. We hope the state of Oregon steps back out of the courtroom and joins us at the table.
Brad Wilson
President and CEO