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Leaders from rural electric cooperatives across the United States are convening in Washington, D.C. this week to push for reduced regulations on power plants that emit greenhouse gases, along with calls for extensive reforms in permitting processes.
A significant priority for the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) and its affiliates is the preservation of hydroelectric power.
“More than 60% of electric cooperatives source electricity from federal hydropower resources,” stated NRECA CEO Jim Matheson during a media call on Monday.
The cooperatives are strongly opposed to any dismantling of federal hydropower infrastructure, specifically referencing the contentious proposal to remove four dams on the Lower Snake River in the Pacific Northwest. A Department of Energy study is currently assessing the potential resource needs to replace these hydroelectric installations, which aligns with a 2023 Memorandum of Understanding established between the U.S. government and four Treaty Tribes of the Lower Columbia River, along with the states of Oregon and Washington.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers manages four run-of-river dams with hydro projects on the Lower Snake River in Washington, collectively producing an average capacity of 1,000 megawatts, peaking at 3,033 megawatts. The dams—Ice Harbor, Lower Monumental, Little Goose, and Lower Granite—were constructed between 1955 and 1961.
The creation and operation of these dams have significantly altered the river’s ecological balance, affecting its physical, chemical, hydrological, and biological processes. All salmon species utilizing the Snake River are currently designated as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act, prompting extensive discussions regarding the removal of these dams.
Keith Brooks, General Manager of Douglas Electric Cooperative in Oregon, highlighted the critical role of the Snake River hydropower infrastructure, especially during the extreme winter weather experienced in January 2024.
“During the period when wind and solar energy generation dropped to zero, the Snake River provided thousands of megawatt hours daily, ensuring that hundreds of thousands of homes maintained heat,” Brooks noted. “I truly believe that without those dams, lives could have been lost.”
Tariff Challenges
Officials from rural cooperatives expressed concern over the potential risks tariffs pose in an already fragile global supply chain, although their insights remain largely anecdotal at this point. Matheson remarked that any cost increases linked to tariffs would directly affect cooperative customers, as these organizations do not have shareholders to absorb extra expenses.
Brooks mentioned that while his cooperative has yet to experience direct price hikes attributable to tariffs, lingering supply chain issues from the COVID-19 pandemic are still evident, especially concerning critical equipment like transformers.
Annalisa Bloodworth, CEO of Oglethorpe Power, indicated that vendors are already hinting at anticipated price increases related to tariffs. She emphasized that current supply chain pressures are compounded by a surge in U.S. energy demand and fierce global competition for essential generation resources.
Source
www.renewableenergyworld.com