Hearing
highlights importance of hydroelectric dams
Cathy
McMorris Rodgers, Guest Comment, Capital Press 6/27/08
Everyone
is concerned about high gas prices. Whether you drive hundreds
of miles a week or none at all, the high cost of gasoline and
energy is affecting us all. There are many reasons for the
rising energy prices - and many solutions. Meeting America's
energy needs with American resources is important to our
economy and to our national security.
One of those solutions to doing that is found right here in
the Northwest. Hydroelectric dams across the West and
especially in Washington State provide us with clean,
affordable and renewable energy. In fact, dams provide nearly
two-thirds of Washington State's electricity. According to the
Northwest Power and Conservation Council, these dams have kept
the Pacific Northwest's "carbon footprint" at half that of the
rest of the Nation.
As the lead Republican on the Water and Power Subcommittee, it
is my goal to tell the "good news" story about hydropower as a
renewable resource. That's why I requested, and recently
chaired, a hearing about hydropower. Congress owes it to the
American people to be honest and realistic about our domestic
energy sources. The hearing was our first step toward giving
the American people and those inside the Beltway much-needed
information about hydropower, which is an environmental
success story.
Senator Bob Morton (R-Kettle Falls), Avista Corporation's
Director of Environmental Affairs Bruce Howard, Grant County
PUD General Manager Tim Culbertson and others testified at the
hearing. They underscored the importance of hydropower as a
domestic, renewable and hydrocarbon-free energy resource, the
need to maximize our use of hydropower and the success that
technology has had in reducing salmon mortality at dams.
Despite this success, there are still some that continue to
wage war on our dams, namely the removal of the four lower
Snake River dams. What is missing from this debate is the fact
that removal of the Snake River dams would add 5.4 million
tons of CO2 to the atmosphere each year and it would take
three nuclear, six coal-fired, or 14 gas-fired power plants to
replace their electricity generation. The dams also serve as
the base resource for integrating wind energy into the
Northwest grid.
I feel this hearing was the first step toward a better
understanding in Congress about the value of hydropower and I
look forward to forming a bipartisan Congressional Caucus to
protect and promote hydropower.
The river systems throughout the Pacific Northwest are a
critical part of our region's economy and should be used for
transportation, irrigation and recreation. These dams built
our economy and continue to contribute to our way of life. At
a time of growing energy demand, it makes no sense to throw
this clean energy source away. I am committed, as we move
forward with the debate on global warming, that hydropower be
recognized for the important role it plays in our markets.
Cathy McMorris Rodgers is a Congresswoman from the 5th
Congressional District of Washington |
