Loss of Carbon-free Hydropower Would Create a Two-Class
Social Equity System
(VANCOUVER, WA) -- Northwest RiverPartners, a not-for-profit,
member-driven organization that advocates for carbon-free hydropower, today
issued a warning about the dire impact that dam removal and the associated
threat to hydroelectricity would have on the most vulnerable communities in the
Northwest.
“On an annual basis, fifty percent of the Northwest region’s
electricity generation comes from carbon-free hydropower,” said Kurt Miller,
executive director of Northwest RiverPartners. “Loss of this critical resource
would lead to blackouts and capacity shortages, disproportionately burdening
susceptible communities.”
Northwest RiverPartners isn’t alone in their concern about
the future of electricity in the region. In an unprecedented move, hundreds of
Northwest energy leaders convened this October to address the real threat to
future power resources and supply, in part due to increased efforts to diminish
the hydroelectric system. These efforts come at a time when thousands of
megawatts of carbon-emitting resources are already being removed without an
immediate replacement.
Yet many involved in the debate have overlooked the critical
sociological and economic aspect that would adversely impact low income
communities and communities of color.
“There is a very important social justice component of our
work that embraces environmental equity issues and prioritizes a renewable
energy future that doesn’t leave people behind,” said Miller. “We advocate for
hydroelectricity because it is clean, affordable, and accessible for all
communities - it is a critical part of the Northwest’s clean energy future.”
Many Northwest communities with the highest percentage of
low-income and disadvantaged populations and communities of color, rely on
hydroelectricity as a cost-effective carbon-free energy resource. Many also
rely on dams, and the benefits they provide, for jobs.
For example, the Tri-Cities region in Washington state has a
growing population of almost 300,000 of which over one third are communities of
color according to the U.S. Census Bureau. A high proportion of workers within
this community are employed by or tied to the agricultural industry, which in
turn relies on the irrigation made possible by area dams.
As evidenced by the current California power outages, which
have shown a disturbing economic divide, the price of installing alternative
energy systems is still cost-prohibitive to more vulnerable segments of the
population.
“While it's important that we focus on a clean energy
future, our current trajectory is leading to a two-class system for electricity
where only the well-to-do can afford new energy sources such as solar panels,
inverters, batteries and backup generation,” continued Miller.
A threat to carbon-free hydropower would also affect small
businesses in the region. Solar and wind power, which are balanced by the
stability and reliability of hydropower, are becoming more affordable. Still,
the least expensive way to participate in the clean energy future and maintain
the cheapest power bills in the country is through the use of hydroelectricity.
“At our meetings, we’ve often said that you cannot have
sustainability without equity,” said Sam Brooks, founder and board chairman,
Oregon Association of Minority Entrepreneurs. “Our minority, women-owned, and
emerging small businesses need continued access to clean and affordable energy
resources like hydroelectricity.”
The debate over the value and role of hydropower and the
prospect of dam removal in the Northwest has been gaining traction and will
reach a pivotal point next February with the release of the Draft Columbia
River System Operations Environmental Impact Statement by federal action
agencies. The report will analyze the societal, environmental, and economic
costs and benefits of breaching the four lower Snake River dams.
About Northwest RiverPartners
Northwest RiverPartners is a not-for-profit, member-driven
organization. Members include community-owned utilities, ports, and businesses
from across the northwestern United States. The organization is focused on
raising awareness about how the Northwest’s hydropower system betters
communities and the natural environment and encourages science-based solutions
that help hydropower and salmon coexist and thrive. www.nwriverpartners.org
