Redundant Environmental Review is Unlawful, Misleading, and Jeopardizes Services to Millions (Northwest RiverPartners, Vancouver, WA)

Regional Coalition of Power, Navigation, and Agriculture Users Push Back on New Federal Environmental Review

(PORTLAND, OR) - - A coalition of regional leaders calls on the federal government to withdraw its decision to initiate new environmental reviews of the Columbia and Snake River dams. ​The coalition contends that a new National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) analysis would be both premature and unlawful, warning that it would be incomplete and could mislead the public about these dams' vital role in supporting the region’s economy and environment.

Given the sharp rise in energy costs and the notable 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 federal dams on the Columbia and Snake Rivers. This diverse group, representing millions of electric customers, businesses, farmers, and river commerce leaders, is concerned that additional reviews are unnecessary at this time.

​The coalition argues that any supplemental NEPA analysis would be fundamentally flawed and misleading. There are significant concerns regarding the Co-Lead Agencies’ proposal to base the analysis on interim reports from the 12/14 Agreement studies and unscientific policy documents, which lack conclusive findings. Relying on these incomplete studies undermines the integrity of the NEPA process and risks rendering the Final NEPA document unlawful, as NEPA is designed to promote informed decision-making. According to the coalition, proceeding with a NEPA analysis based on such interim reports does not fulfill this essential objective.

The proposed environmental review could lead to breaching federal hydropower facilities that serve as the largest source of affordable, reliable, clean energy for millions of people in the region while also providing world-class, clean river transportation for the regions and nation’s economies.

The coalition responded to the Biden Administration's decision to move forward with a “Notice of Intent” to redo an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) completed in 2020. That study–just four years old–cost regional electric customers more than $55 million and considered more than 400,000 comments before concluding that our hydropower dams need to stay in place.

The 2020 study concluded that federal hydropower dams and locks are essential to maintaining affordable electric rates, reliable energy service to homes and businesses, and lower carbon emissions. Hydropower is the largest source of affordable, renewable, dispatchable generation in the Pacific Northwest.

Since that time, energy load forecasts have exploded. According to a 2024 report from the Pacific Northwest Utilities Conference Committee, “Demand for electricity is projected to increase from about 23,700 average megawatts (aMW) in 2024 to about 31,100 aMW in 2033 (an increase of 7,400 aMW), which is an increase in demand of over 30% in the next 10 years.”

The federal government’s decision comes as electricity cost increases in the Pacific Northwest far outpace the national growth rate. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, retail electric rates across Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and Montana increased between 5.9-11.4% between 2022 and 2023— doubling (or far more) the 2.6% average rate of increase across the U.S. during the same period. The decision to proceed with additional environmental studies ignores publicly available data showing significant, sustained increases in fish returns.

Average salmon and steelhead returns have more than tripled at Bonneville Dam on the Columbia River and more than quadrupled at Lower Granite Dam on the Snake River during the last 15 years when compared to the first adult fish counts at those facilities, according to data sourced from the University of Washington College of the Environment’s Data Access in Real Time (DART) website.

Further, a peer-reviewed study commissioned by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in 2021, “Climate change threatens Chinook Salmon through their lifecycle,” provided the following conclusions:

• “Survival through Columbia and Snake River dams generally now meets recovery targets (>96%), and cumulative mortality over 500 km of in-river migrating fish (~50%) is similar to that estimated for unregulated rivers of similar length (i.e., Fraser River).”
•  “Our analysis showed relative resilience in freshwater stages, with the dominant driver toward extinction being rising SST (sea surface temperature), which tracked a ~90% decline in survival in the marine life stage.”
•  “Our results indicate that as one symptom of a changing ocean, rising SST (sea surface temperature) puts all of our study populations at high risk of extinction, despite actions within the hydrosystem to speed juvenile travel and increase in-river survival.”

This diverse group of power, navigation, and agricultural users in the Northwest has a strong demonstrated history, and a continued commitment, to engaging when appropriate in proper reviews of programs and policies impacting the Columbia River Basin, its citizens, economies, and the environment. To that end, this coalition will continue to carefully monitor developments on this proposed environmental review and potential impacts to the Northwest.

The Columbia Basin Regional Alliance for Transparent (RAFT) is a coalition formed by the Public Power Council, the Pacific Northwest Waterways Association, Northwest RiverPartners, Northwest Requirements Utilities, and other concerned stakeholders in the Pacific Northwest who are dedicated to safeguarding the value of hydropower and preserving the vitality of river commerce activities in and along the Columbia and Snake rivers.

Media Contacts:

•  Kurt Miller, Executive Director, Northwest Public Power Association - kurt@nwppa.org
• Zabyn Towner, Executive Director, Northwest Requirements Utilities - ztowner@nru-nw.com
• Clark Mather, Executive Director, Northwest RiverPartners - clark@nwriverpartners.org
• Neil Maunu, Executive Director, Pacific Northwest Waterways Association - neil.maunu@pnwa.net
• Scott Simms, CEO & Executive Director, Public Power Council - ssimms@ppcpdx.org
• Michelle Hennings, Executive Director, Washington Association of Wheat Growers - michelle@wawg.org

Additional Supporting Organizations:

• Association of Washington Business
• Idaho Consumer Utilities Association 
• Idaho Wheat Commission
• Montana Electric Cooperatives Association
• Oregon Municipal Electric Utilities Association
• Oregon People’s Utility District Association
• Oregon Wheat Commission
• Oregon Rural Electric Cooperative Association
• Washington Public Utility Districts Association
• Washington Rural Electric Cooperative Association
• Washington State Water Resources Association

The Energy News Digest for June 26, 2024

The Northwest Public Power Association sponsors the Energy News Digest. 

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Subscribe to The Energy News Digest.

Items of Note from the Northwest Public Power Association

This Friday is the deadline for submitting NWPPA Excellence in Communications Award applications.

The Excellence in Communications Contest is an awards competition open to NWPPA utility and association members. Public power professionals are invited to submit the best content created by or on behalf of their utility or organization. All photo entries will automatically be entered into the People’s Choice Awards contest. Awards for both contests are presented each year at NWPPA’s Northwest Innovations in Communications Conference.

Hotshots – Today’s Top Five Stories

Chelan, Douglas, Grant County PUDs Sue Bonneville Power Administration & U.S. Army Corps Over Columbia River Treaty Delays, Overpayment (Wenatchee World, WA – Paywall Advisory) - The lawsuit, filed June 17, wants the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Washington to declare that the BPA and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers “failed to comply with the Administrative Procedure Act by unreasonably delaying action” on a petition from the Mid-Cs regarding the Columbia River Treaty, and that “the U.S. Entity has no authority to impose conditions on the Mid-Cs’ use of the Columbia River flow after Sept. 15.”

https://www.wenatcheeworld.com/news/local/chelan-douglas-and-grant-county-puds-sue-bonneville-power-and-u-s-army-corps-over/article_e1adc608-3297-11ef-bf11-57dbca5da919.html

WA Ecology, Feds Host Meetings on Breaching Lower Snake River Dams (The Center Square)

https://www.thecentersquare.com/washington/article_fc0d9670-3014-11ef-a04c-c777c41e883c.html

State Council Wrestles with WA Gov. Inslee’s Recommendations on Wind Farm Project (The Center Square)

https://www.thecentersquare.com/washington/article_635764d4-327a-11ef-85e6-4709791bce7a.html

WA State: Initiative to Repeal Cap-And-Trade May Already Be Lowering Carbon Auction Prices (The Center Square)

https://www.thecentersquare.com/washington/article_c4596a64-3335-11ef-98b4-17aa10dee85d.html

WA Lands Commissioner Wary of Federal Plan to Kill Thousands of Owls (Washington Standard)

https://washingtonstatestandard.com/briefs/wa-lands-commissioner-wary-of-federal-plan-to-kill-thousands-of-owls/

News Highlights (See Stories Below)

1.    Chelan, Douglas, Grant County PUDs Sue Bonneville Power Administration & U.S. Army Corps Over Columbia River Treaty Delays, Overpayment (Wenatchee World, WA – Paywall Advisory) - The lawsuit, filed June 17, wants the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Washington to declare that the BPA and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers “failed to comply with the Administrative Procedure Act by unreasonably delaying action” on a petition from the Mid-Cs regarding the Columbia River Treaty, and that “the U.S. Entity has no authority to impose conditions on the Mid-Cs’ use of the Columbia River flow after Sept. 15.”

2.    WA Ecology, Feds Host Meetings on Breaching Lower Snake River Dams

3.    Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers (WA) responds to President Biden’s 'Dam Breaching' Agenda

4.    Wildfire Threats Make Utility Companies Uninsurable in Northern California, Across West

5.    Hydropower Industry Seeks Navajo Support After Permits Rejected

6.    NV Energy Seeks to Prematurely Recover Costs of $4.2 Billion Greenlink Transmission Line

7.    Aging Coal Plants Are Increasingly Unreliable Due to Cycling Increases & Deferred Maintenance: NERC

8.    Big Tech Wants Nuclear Power but Doesn’t See Role as Investor

9.    State Council Wrestles with WA Gov. Inslee’s Recommendations on Wind Farm Project

10. Alaska: Angoon Celebrates Launch of Long-Awaited Hydroelectric Project

11. A Big Boost for a Climate Solution: Electricity Made from the Heat of the Earth

12. A Signature Biden Law Aimed to Boost Renewable Energy. It Also Helped a Solar Company Reap Billions

13. In Green Energy Boom, One Federal Agency Made the Yakama Nation an Offer They Had to Refuse

14. WA State: Snohomish County to Start ‘Kicking Gas’ in Push for All-Electric Homes

15. WA Lands Commissioner Wary of Federal Plan to Kill Thousands of Owls

16. Have You Ever Sung ‘Happy Birthday’ to a Fish? Dozens of People Did on Saturday

17. The U.S. Supreme Court Rejects a Settlement in a Water Dispute Between New Mexico & Texas

18. WA State: Ecology Releases Final Environmental Review of Proposal to Rebuild Eightmile Lake Dam

19. WA State: Initiative to Repeal Cap-And-Trade May Already Be Lowering Carbon Auction Prices

20. WA to Distribute $72 Million from Carbon Market Auctions for Community Energy Projects

21. Whistleblower Lawsuit Against WSDOT, Washington Governor's Office to Move Forward

22. How Seattle Public Library's Cyberattack Impacts Patrons, Students

23. Taking A Closer Look at Artificial Intelligence’s Supposed Energy Apocalypse

24. Volkswagen's $5 Billion Investment in Rivian Boosts Electric Vehicle Maker's Shares

25. The U.S. Supreme Court Rules for Biden Administration in a Social Media Dispute with Conservative States

26. WA State: Everett Herald Journalists Stage One-Day Strike After Layoffs Announced

27. How Heat Pumps Can Turn Wasted Energy into Low-Carbon Whisky

28. At State Convention, Washington Democrats Narrowly Reject Proposal to Block Nuclear Power

29. What to Expect for Wildfire Season

30. Part of a Minnesota Home Has Plunged into the Blue Earth River as Deadly Midwest Flooding Threatens Nearby Rapidan Dam

31. Lots of Rumbling Under Mount St. Helens, But Scientists Say No Cause for Alarm

32. Guest Essay: Altering Use of Willamette River Basin Dams Would Save Money, Help Salmon

33. Podcast: Rich Glick on FERC Order 1920

34. Advertorial: Hydropower Is Ready to Step Up to the Plate Against Summer Heat

Word of the Day

Hippodrome \HIPP-uh-drome\ Noun - 1: an oval stadium for horse & chariot races in ancient Greece 2: an arena for equestrian performances.

“Harry the Horse” had grown tired of his waltz performance at the local circus. “I want to be the main act at the hippodrome, showcasing the cha-cha,” he neighed. The Hendersons simply laughed.

Energy & Utility Issues

1.      Chelan, Douglas, Grant County PUDs Sue Bonneville Power Administration & U.S. Army Corps Over Columbia River Treaty Delays, Overpayment (Wenatchee World, WA – Paywall Advisory) - The lawsuit, filed June 17, wants the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Washington to declare that the BPA and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers “failed to comply with the Administrative Procedure Act by unreasonably delaying action” on a petition from the Mid-Cs regarding the Columbia River Treaty, and that “the U.S. Entity has no authority to impose conditions on the Mid-Cs’ use of the Columbia River flow after Sept. 15.”

https://www.wenatcheeworld.com/news/local/chelan-douglas-and-grant-county-puds-sue-bonneville-power-and-u-s-army-corps-over/article_e1adc608-3297-11ef-bf11-57dbca5da919.html

2.      WA Ecology, Feds Host Meetings on Breaching Lower Snake River Dams (The Center Square)

https://www.thecentersquare.com/washington/article_fc0d9670-3014-11ef-a04c-c777c41e883c.html

3.      Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers (WA) responds to President Biden’s 'Dam Breaching' Agenda (The Center Square)

https://www.thecentersquare.com/washington/article_2e883cc8-2e66-11ef-a8ca-7f396370fefc.html

4.      Wildfire Threats Make Utility Companies Uninsurable in Northern California, Across West (San Jose Mercury News, CA – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.mercurynews.com/2024/06/24/wildfire-threats-make-utilities-uninsurable-in-us-west/

5.      Hydropower Industry Seeks Navajo Support After Permits Rejected (Bloomberg News)

https://news.bloomberglaw.com/environment-and-energy/hydropower-industry-seeks-navajo-support-after-permits-rejected

6.      NV Energy Seeks to Prematurely Recover Costs of $4.2 Billion Greenlink Transmission Line (Nevada Current)

https://nevadacurrent.com/2024/06/20/nv-energy-seeks-to-prematurely-recover-costs-of-4-2-billion-transmission-line/

7.      Aging Coal Plants Are Increasingly Unreliable Due to Cycling Increases & Deferred Maintenance: NERC (Utility Dive)

https://www.utilitydive.com/news/coal-plant-forced-outages-rise-increasingly-unreliable-NERC/719488/

8.      Big Tech Wants Nuclear Power but Doesn’t See Role as Investor (Yahoo! News)

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/big-tech-wants-nuclear-power-201653832.html

Renewable Energy & Self Storage

9.      State Council Wrestles with WA Gov. Inslee’s Recommendations on Wind Farm Project (The Center Square)

https://www.thecentersquare.com/washington/article_635764d4-327a-11ef-85e6-4709791bce7a.html

10.   Alaska: Angoon Celebrates Launch of Long-Awaited Hydroelectric Project (KTOO Radio, Juneau, AK)

https://www.ktoo.org/2024/06/20/angoon-celebrates-launch-of-long-awaited-hydroelectric-project/

11.   A Big Boost for a Climate Solution: Electricity Made from the Heat of the Earth (Associated Press)

https://apnews.com/article/geothermal-energy-heat-renewable-power-climate-fervo-343efd2a284d975b98219e66a6043291

12.   A Signature Biden Law Aimed to Boost Renewable Energy. It Also Helped a Solar Company Reap Billions (Associated Press)

https://apnews.com/article/biden-solar-inflation-reduction-act-dca914675cd0855004214d82aab5b10c

13.   In Green Energy Boom, One Federal Agency Made the Yakama Nation an Offer They Had to Refuse (High Country News)

https://www.hcn.org/issues/56-7/how-federal-rules-and-a-lack-of-protection-for-sacred-indigenous-sites-left-the-yakama-nation-with-an-impossible-choice/

Conservation & Efficiency

14.   WA State: Snohomish County to Start ‘Kicking Gas’ in Push for All-Electric Homes (Everett Herald, WA – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.heraldnet.com/news/snohomish-county-to-start-kicking-gas-in-push-for-all-electric-homes/

Fish & Wildlife

15.   WA Lands Commissioner Wary of Federal Plan to Kill Thousands of Owls (Washington Standard)

https://washingtonstatestandard.com/briefs/wa-lands-commissioner-wary-of-federal-plan-to-kill-thousands-of-owls/

16.   Have You Ever Sung ‘Happy Birthday’ to a Fish? Dozens of People Did On Saturday (Here Is Oregon)

https://www.hereisoregon.com/events/2024/06/have-you-ever-sung-happy-birthday-to-a-fish-dozens-of-people-did-on-saturday.html

Water, Water, Anywhere?

17.   The U.S. Supreme Court Rejects a Settlement in a Water Dispute Between New Mexico & Texas (Associated Press)

https://apnews.com/article/texas-new-mexico-colorado-rio-grande-a624e0bf8f9d0340166e0811c74efcbb

18.   WA State: Ecology Releases Final Environmental Review of Proposal to Rebuild Eightmile Lake Dam (WA Dept. Of Ecology)

https://ecology.wa.gov/about-us/who-we-are/news/2024-news-stories/june-21-eightmile-lake-dam-feis

Climate Change Sequestration Vault

19.   WA State: Initiative to Repeal Cap-And-Trade May Already Be Lowering Carbon Auction Prices (The Center Square)

https://www.thecentersquare.com/washington/article_c4596a64-3335-11ef-98b4-17aa10dee85d.html

20.   WA to Distribute $72 Million from Carbon Market Auctions for Community Energy Projects (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/climate-lab/wa-to-distribute-72-million-from-carbon-market-auctions-for-community-energy-projects/

21.   Whistleblower Lawsuit Against WSDOT, Washington Governor's Office to Move Forward (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)

https://www.king5.com/article/news/politics/state-politics/governor-office-wsdot-lose-bid-to-have-whistleblower-case-tossed-out/281-2e763a64-9fe7-4fb5-90b1-306257314b6a

Beam Me Up, Scotty - The Wizarding World of Technology & Cybersecurity

22.   How Seattle Public Library's Cyberattack Impacts Patrons, Students (Crosscut Seattle)

https://crosscut.com/news/2024/06/how-seattle-public-librarys-cyberattack-impacts-patrons-students

23.   Taking A Closer Look at Artificial Intelligence’s Supposed Energy Apocalypse (Ars Technica)

https://arstechnica.com/ai/2024/06/is-generative-ai-really-going-to-wreak-havoc-on-the-power-grid/

I Sing the Car Electric

24.   Volkswagen's $5 Billion Investment in Rivian Boosts Electric Vehicle Maker's Shares (Reuters)

https://www.reuters.com/business/autos-transportation/volkswagen-invest-up-5-billion-rivian-part-tech-joint-venture-2024-06-25/

Public Relations, Marketing & Media

25.   The U.S. Supreme Court Rules for Biden Administration in a Social Media Dispute with Conservative States (Yahoo! News)

https://www.yahoo.com/news/supreme-court-rules-biden-administration-140359363.html

26.   WA State: Everett Herald Journalists Stage One-Day Strike After Layoffs Announced (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)

https://www.king5.com/article/news/local/everett/everett-herald-journalists-protest-layoffs/281-7880a4bd-ed86-4526-ac2b-36c7d93e5e6f

Barrel O’ Green Potpourri – Seething Stew of Science

27.   How Heat Pumps Can Turn Wasted Energy into Low-Carbon Whisky (Canary Media)

https://www.canarymedia.com/articles/clean-industry/how-heat-pumps-can-turn-wasted-energy-into-low-carbon-whisky

Management & Governance

28.   At State Convention, Washington Democrats Narrowly Reject Proposal to Block Nuclear Power (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2024/jun/25/at-state-convention-washington-democrats-narrowly-/

Other Things to Know About Today

29.   What to Expect for Wildfire Season (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)

https://www.kiro7.com/news/local/what-expect-wildfire-season/DIFAKECZ5NALTNI5AC4MSUNMCM/

30.   Part of a Minnesota Home Has Plunged into the Blue Earth River as Deadly Midwest Flooding Threatens Nearby Rapidan Dam (Yahoo! News)

https://www.yahoo.com/news/part-minnesota-home-plunged-blue-154859241.html

31.   Lots of Rumbling Under Mount St. Helens, But Scientists Say No Cause for Alarm (KUOW Radio, Seattle, WA)

https://www.kuow.org/stories/lots-of-rumbling-under-mount-st-helens-but-scientists-say-no-cause-for-alarm

Soapbox Serenade – Vox Populi

32.   Guest Essay: Altering Use of Willamette River Basin Dams Would Save Money, Help Salmon (Oregon Capital Chronicle)

https://oregoncapitalchronicle.com/2024/06/25/altering-use-of-willamette-river-basin-dams-would-save-money-help-salmon/

33.   Podcast: Rich Glick on FERC Order 1920 (Public Power Underground)

https://publicpowerunderground.substack.com/p/rich-glick-on-ferc-order-1920

34.   Advertorial: Hydropower Is Ready to Step Up to the Plate Against Summer Heat (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2024/jun/07/hydropower-is-ready-to-step-up-to-the-plate-agains/

Alligators in the Sewer – Diversions

Super Fluffy 8-Year-Old Pekingese ‘Wild Thang’ Wins 2024 World's Ugliest Dog Contest

https://www.npr.org/2024/06/22/nx-s1-5016281/wild-thang-pekingese-winner-2024-world-ugliest-dog-contest

Not Just a Book: What Is a Gutenberg Bible? Why Is It Relevant 500 Years After Its Printing?

https://apnews.com/article/gutenberg-bibles-morgan-library-scripture-2ff65c3cdbeda696c861fef5db8b18ee

Abe Lincoln Wax Sculpture Melts in Brutal DC Heat

https://www.yahoo.com/news/abe-lincoln-wax-replica-melts-144552806.html

Idaho’s David Rush Is Closing in on the Guinness World Records Throne

https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2024/06/21/David-Rush-Guinness-World-Records-road-to-181-interview/8751718893537/

Song of the Day

The Beatles – Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJNndwGFJIM

Links & Paywall Advisory

Links in The Energy News Digest are for current stories. Media organizations update their websites regularly, which may result in broken links.

Although I choose stories that are accessible without paying a subscription, individual experiences may vary. Media attribution includes information about possible paywall restrictions. Regularly clearing your browser’s history and cookie files may help you access some paywall sites.

NWPPA Excellence In Communications Awards

The Excellence In Communications Contest is an awards competition open to NWPPA utility and association members. Public power professionals are invited to submit the best content created by or on behalf of their utility or organization. All photo entries will automatically be entered into the People’s Choice Awards contest. Awards for both contests are presented each year at NWPPA’s Northwest Innovations in Communications Conference.

Submissions must be original materials published, produced, or distributed for the first time in 2023. Advertising materials entered into the competition must have been created specifically for the NWPPA member. Each communication piece can only be submitted into one category—communication pieces that are entered into more than one category will be disqualified.

All entries must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. PT on Friday, June 28, 2024. Late submissions will not be considered.

Entries are limited to one entry for the Annual Report category, and two entries for all other categories.

The entry fee is $35 per entry. NWPPA will invoice utilities for their entries in early July. Invoices must be paid in full by Aug. 20 for entries to be eligible to receive an award.

NEW THIS YEAR

There are a couple of exciting changes to this year’s contest.

1. We have added a new Video category!
2. Groups are now determined by the number of kilowatt-hours sold, rather than by number of customers.

More details about these changes are available in the EIC Call for Entries.

$30 Billion Wildfire Lawsuit Against PacifiCorp Could Prove Costly to Everyone (Northwest Public Power Association)

 Kurt Miller, Executive Director, Northwest Public Power Association

(Vancouver, WA) -- On April 29, one thousand wildfire victims filed new claims against PacifiCorp in an Oregon state court totaling $30 billion related to damages and emotional distress caused by 2020 wildfires that involved the utility’s equipment. According to Reuters, these lawsuits alone represent four times the maximum financial exposure PacifiCorp’s owner, Berkshire Hathaway, had anticipated.

While the sum may be greater than expected, Berkshire Hathaway’s famous leader, Warren Buffet now seems more prescient than ever in his February letter to investors. In his letter, Buffet cast doubt on the future of investor-owned utilities (IOUs) due to untold financial risks related to wildfires in the West. Simply put, Buffet wondered aloud whether investors will be willing to “send good money after bad,” and he emphatically stated that he is not. Buffet concluded that consumer-owned utilities might the only ones left standing as investors back away.

As someone who has worked for an IOU and for consumer-owned utilities (i.e., “public power”) I’m a huge advocate for the public power model. It removes the confusion of who the utility is beholden too—investors or the communities they serve. With public power utilities, the investors are the communities served.

That said, the financial risk associated with wildfires is bad for everyone. Over half of the 153 utilities my organization represents have 10,000 or fewer customers. They can’t afford even a small fraction of the potential liability PacifiCorp is facing.

Of course, you may say that utilities should take steps to avoid causing fires. We can all agree to that, and most, if not all, utilities are already taking steps. But some measures could be prohibitively costly. For instance, under-grounding power lines can be five to 10 times as high as providing traditional service connections, and that cost would be borne by customers. Meanwhile, many people have a hard time making ends meet as it is.

Even then, it is almost impossible to deliver electricity without some risk. Extreme weather, changing environmental conditions, and inadequate management of federal lands are often the true determinants of wildfire harm. A transmission line may provide the spark, but the fuel is what determines the extent of the damage.

None of this is to say that the hardships wildfire victims experience aren’t horrible or that if a utility is negligent that it should be immune to consequences. These losses are real and can be devastating. My father’s childhood home in Salem burned to the ground, and he often recounted how traumatizing it was to him and his family.

However, if Buffet’s prediction comes true and consumer-owned utilities are the only ones left standing, we’ll get to the point where we’re really just suing each other’s communities when a wildfire is sparked. Our only real crime will be that we needed electricity to power our homes in an era when climate change has made the entire Western US a tinderbox.

If we want to avoid such a future, we need to enact meaningful reforms to our fire management systems, including:

• Allowing utilities to perform corridor maintenance on federal lands
• Streamlining environmental reviews for wildfire prevention activities
• Reforming liability provisions
• Providing funding for efforts to identify and address major wildfire threats
• Requiring federal landowners to actively manage and mitigate forests identified as high-risk
• Partnering with states and tribes to work collaboratively on reducing fire risks

The benefit of many of these measures is that they will help reduce wildfire-related damages even when utility equipment isn’t involved. (Utility-involved wildfires represent less than 10% of all wildfire incidences.)

Addressing these challenges demands a concerted effort from local, state, and federal governments. Prioritizing these issues is imperative to safeguard communities and ensure the provision of essential services in the face of mounting environmental risks.

Public power is up to the task of meeting the urgent demands of our time. For over a century, community-owned utilities have done what others couldn’t or wouldn’t do, often with lower costs than their IOU counterparts. We stand ready to collaborate with community leaders, tribes, businesses, and policymakers to make meaningful change.

We’ve already lost too much due to uncontrolled wildfires. Let’s learn the lessons those fires taught us and apply them now, before it is too late.