Washington, DC — The National Hydropower issued the following statement after President Trump announced he is terminating a Biden-era agreement that could have paved the way for the removal of the Lower Snake River Dam system in the Pacific Northwest:
“Thank you, President Trump, for valuing hydropower and taking action to preserve the existing Lower Snake River Dam system.
“The 3,000 MWs of reliable, emission-free hydropower generated by the dams are vital to the Pacific Northwest’s economic prosperity, providing electricity to an estimated 2.5 million homes. While past discussions about the dams’ future did not properly include industry, we believe any future conversations about these assets going forward must be transparent and include perspectives from all stakeholders.
“While this action is an important step in protecting these important, baseload hydropower resources, the reconciliation bill recently approved by the U.S. House of Representatives has a glaring blind spot. In its current form, the bill does not properly value baseload technologies, which aid electrical grids in handling increasingly extreme weather, energy demand driven by AI, and the unrelenting need for 24/7 reliability.
“NHA urges Congress to recognize the role of hydropower by ensuring it receives fair and equitable tax treatment alongside other baseload energy sources in the budget reconciliation bill and that the bill provides long-overdue federal support for dam safety and environmental investments to preserve the existing fleet for future generations.”
