WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho) and Representative Dan Newhouse (R-Wash.) introduced the Northwest Energy Security Act to protect the four lower Snake River dams.

The legislation supports the Federal Columbia River Power System (FCRPS) and the many benefits it brings to our region by improving and maintaining hydropower assets, ensuring operations throughout the system are conducted in accordance with the latest federal scientific review, and continuing to allow native salmon to recover at record rates.

“The lower Snake River dams are indispensable to the northwest, and efforts to breach them are profoundly misguided. These dams provide reliable, clean hydropower while supporting critical transportation, agriculture, and irrigation that sustains our region,” said Risch. “My Northwest Energy Security Act protects our region’s federal dams so that they continue to power Idaho’s homes and economy for generations.”

“This legislation upholds the Lower Snake River dams as a vital piece of infrastructure for Central Washington and the Pacific Northwest. I am proud to lead this legislation alongside Senator Risch as we strengthen the coalition to protect our region’s clean and affordable source of baseload power,” said Newhouse.

Risch and Newhouse are joined by U.S. Senators Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Tim Sheehy (R-Mont.), John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), and Representatives Russ Fulcher (R-Idaho), Cliff Bentz (R-Ore.), and Michael Baumgartner (R-Wash.) in introducing the Northwest Energy Security Act.

“The Columbia River System is the economic and hydropower backbone of the Pacific Northwest. I maintain concerns with the absence of wider consensus from key energy, agriculture, transportation and local stakeholders in the area,” said Crapo. “The 2020 Record of Decision, which was the result of a peer-reviewed, science-based process, found the Lower Snake River Dams and their many benefits should be protected. The Northwest Energy Security Act would codify this recommendation.”

“We should be increasing baseload power, not tearing it down. The Columbia River System provides reliable and affordable baseload power, and it supports Montana agriculture,” said Daines. “I’ll stand firmly against any attempts to breach hydropower dams on the Columbia River System and will always fight to support and expand hydropower throughout the United States." 

“Protecting the four lower Snake River dams, which generate affordable, reliable baseload power for families and businesses in Montana and across the West, is just common sense and the right thing to do. Energy security is national security, and I’m proud to join my colleagues in fighting to ensure folks can continue to rely on the region’s federal dams to keep the lights on, power our communities, support production ag, and fuel our economy,” said Sheehy.

“Communities in Northwest Wyoming rely on the hydroelectric power generated by the lower Snake River dams. Attempts to remove these dams put this vital power source in jeopardy,” said Barrasso. “The Northwest Energy Security Act will ensure the dams along the lower Snake River continue to provide much needed electricity for Wyoming families.”

“The lower Snake River is critical to irrigation, agriculture, recreation and providing clean and reliable energy throughout the west,” said Lummis. “The last thing we need to do is breach the dams, and our legislation ensures continuity for all of those who rely on the river.” 

“The four lower Snake River dams are a vital component of the Columbia/Snake River hydro system that provides reliable, low-cost, on-demand power to over 140,000 Idahoans served by consumer-owned utilities across the state. At a time when the region is predicted to need significant increases in always available electricity, the idea of breaching dams and forever losing this critical resource continues to be ludicrous. Our members strongly support the Northwest Energy Security Act which protects baseload power essential to Idaho’s strong economic growth,” said Will Hart, Executive Director, Idaho Consumer-Owned Utilities Association.

“Our region’s farmers and rural communities greatly depend on the existence of the four lower Snake River dams. Their importance for both transportation and energy production cannot be overstated. The science is clear that salmon and dams can co-exist, and therefore we support the Northwest Energy Security Act. The Idaho Farm Bureau Federation thanks Senator Risch and the other bill sponsors,” said Bryan Searle, President, Idaho Farm Bureau Federation.

“The repercussions of breaching the Lower Snake River Dams would be disastrous for the Lewis-Clark Valley, crippling our agricultural communities, jeopardizing industry and critical infrastructure, and significantly harming our economic stability. The Northwest Energy Security Act will help ensure our dams’ survival by prioritizing facts and scientific evidence over political agendas, speculation, and misinformation. The Port of Lewiston thanks Senator Risch for his continued focus on this issue that is so critical to North Central Idaho,” said Scott Corbitt, General Manager, Port of Lewiston.

Background:

The Northwest Energy Security Act directs the FCRPS to operate in alignment with the 2020 “Columbia River System Operations Environmental Impact Statement Record of Decision.”

The four hydroelectric dams on the lower Snake River provide multiple benefits to Idaho and the region, including flood risk management, economic stimulus, crop irrigation, transportation, and clean hydropower.

In September 2020, the “Columbia River System Operations Environmental Impact Statement Record of Decision” for the Columbia River System Operation Environmental Impact Statement (CRSO EIS) published by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Bureau of Reclamation, and Bonneville Power Administration, found that the lower Snake River dams should not be breached. Rather, efforts should be focused on improving and maintaining hydropower assets while working to improve salmon passage and conditions.

On October 21, 2021, the Department of Justice announced a settlement reached between the CRSO EIS plaintiffs and federal agencies on injunctive relief, including a temporary stay on the CRSO EIS litigation until July 2022.