A coalition of organizations representing Pacific Northwest electric cooperatives are calling on the U.S. government to withdraw its December 18th decision to initiate a new supplemental environmental impact statement for the Columbia River System.

A coalition of organizations representing Pacific Northwest electric cooperatives, including the Northwest Public Power Association (NWPPA) and the Montana Electric Cooperatives Association (MECA), are calling on the U.S. government to withdraw its December 18th decision to initiate a new supplemental environmental impact statement for the Columbia River System. The coalition contends that the process is unnecessary and would be based on flawed data.
“Given the sharp rise in energy costs and the notably improved recovery of salmon and steelhead returns, the coalition urges the federal government to withdraw its intent to pursue new environmental analyses on the operations of the federal dams on the Columbia and Snake Rivers,” the group writes in its letter.
The notice of intent was filed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Bureau of Reclamation and would require a new supplemental environmental impact statement to govern Columbia River System Operations under the National Environmental Policy Act. The government contends that “new circumstances and information” about damages to fish populations have become available necessitating the supplemental environmental review.
The coalition contends that the previous environmental impact statement was just completed in 2020 at a $55 million cost to public power customers. They also point out that the “new information” comes from interim reports from the controversial “12 /14 Agreement” between Oregon, Washington, several Tribal Nations, and the U.S. government. “The 12/14 Agreement” seeks to replace the power generated by the four Lower Snake River Dams and paves the way for potential dam breaching. The coalition objects to these interim reports as being based on studies that lack conclusive findings and nonscientific policy documents.
The 2020 study included years of careful data collection and consideration of 400,000 public comments. It concluded that “federal hydropower dams and locks are essential to maintaining affordable electric rates, reliable energy service to homes, and lower carbon emissions.” The coalition also points out that in the last 15 years and since the 2020 study, publicly available data is showing “significant, sustained increases in fish returns.”
A new environmental impact statement based on flawed data could upend governance of the Federal Columbia River System and threaten access for cooperatives like Flathead Electric to clean, reliable hydropower. The Pacific Northwest Utilities Conference Committee 2024 report forecasts a 30% growth in regional electricity demand in the next ten years, underlining the critical importance of adequate power supply in the future.