January 2024
LIGH
READING a glimpse inside Keeping Rates Low
The power of hydro and why it’s important.
T
he Northwest region is very fortunate to have the country’s most reliable, cleanest and affordable energy, which can be attributed to our main energy source hydroelectricity. Over 85 percent of the Pacific Northwest’s renewable energy comes from our hydroelectric dams located throughout our rivers. In 2020, Washington state passed the Clean Energy Transformation Act (CETA), which requires all state electric utilities to become carbon-neutral by 2030 and 100 percent carbon-free by 2045. Inland Power understands the importance of this law and is committed to a carbon-free goal. Maintaining and investing in hydroelectricity is key to achieving this measure. Without our hydropower system in place, Washington could face the same struggles that California is experiencing. California is currently over 66 percent reliable on thermal and nonrenewable sources. The state has limited hyrdo energy sources, with the majority of their renewable generation coming from solar and wind. While these sources are
clean, they only provide intermittent power and offer limited reliability. Solar and wind are valuable pieces of the resource puzzle; however, there are two terms that need to be understood–firm vs. intermittent resources. Firm resources are able to produce energy around the clock. Wind and solar power are intermittent, which means they only produce energy at the mercy of Mother Nature. If conditions are not right, they don’t produce. Our electric grid is already feeling the pressure of changing climate and coupled with our carbon-free and electrification goals, our grid will require all the resources we can muster. As we move toward electrifying things like transportation, our resources are not up to the challenge, even with current energy production. Trends are showing capacity deficits of roughly 6,000 MW by 2032 during winter and summer months. That deficit is estimated without firm generation being added or taken away. Now let’s throw in breaching the lower Snake River dams.
Winter Photo Competition The Heat Pump Advantage
We will be looking at a 7,000 MW deficit. To put that in perspective, that would mean that more than 4.5 million people—or the equivalent of the entire state of Oregon would lose power. Hydropower is vital to keep running our everyday lives. We have already seen the potential for disaster when it comes to not having enough resources in our region. Twice in the last four years, life-threatening cold snaps drained our energy resources to near catastrophic levels. Regional utilities were desperately urged to ask ratepayers to conserve power before we ran out. It was hydropower, primarily the dams on the lower Snake River, that kept our lights on and more importantly heaters running. We encourage our members to get involved and help us in our mission to keep utilities affordable and protect our power supply. To find out how you can get involved, visit our Grassroots Action Team page at inlandpower.com/grassroots-action, inlandpower.com/grassroots-action and to learn more about hydropower, visit inlandpower.com/hydropower. inlandpower.com/hydropower
Our mision is our members!