FEC and its allies have won an important concession in the new Fish and Wildlife Plan put forward by the Northwest Power and Conservation Council
Flathead Electric Cooperative and its allies in the industry and conservation sectors have won an important concession in the newly drafted Fish and Wildlife Plan put forward by the Northwest Power and Conservation Council (NWPCC) adopted on June 16th.
After testimony and lobbying efforts from public power entities such as Flathead Electric and the Montana Electric Cooperatives Association (MECA), and trade groups like Northwest River Partners, the NWPCC backed away from a proposal that would have increased summer spill on the Federal Columbia River Power System (FCRPS) and reduced hydropower output that Western Montana cooperatives rely on to provide affordable, reliable power.
“We are grateful to the council for hearing our concerns and moving the plan forward without summer spill provisions,” said MECA Director of Government Relations Joe Kolman. “If implemented, these provisions would have driven up rates and reduced reliability for Western Montana’s more than 200,000 electric cooperative members while providing negligible benefits for fish.”
Every 10 years, the eight-member NWPCC develops a Fish and Wildlife Plan that provides recommendations to the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) on how the FCRPS should be operated. FEC and MECA worked together to ensure the voice of Montana was heard by coordinating stakeholder testimony from local government, small businesses, social service organizations, and large industry about the importance of the FCRPS to providing affordable, reliable power under all weather conditions.
The initial draft proposed spilling water (and thereby reducing hydropower output) starting on August 1 to benefit native salmon populations. Science increasingly shows that more spill is not always better for fish. In August, additional spill may provide limited fish benefits while increasing water-quality concerns, predator impacts, and the loss of reliable carbon-free hydropower. In the meantime, reducing hydropower generation and flexibility during these periods by spilling water increases the risk of energy shortfalls and price volatility.
Created by Congress in 1980, the NWPCC has a dual mandate: ensure a reliable, affordable power supply while addressing impacts to fish and wildlife from the Columbia River hydropower system. The Fish and Wildlife Plan is the primary tool for achieving that balance.
Photo: A juvenile salmon is measured at a research facility at Lower Granite Lock and Dam. Photo by Ryan Hall | Rural Montana Magazine
