Make Your Voice Heard in 2024
1 of the most important words in the electric utility industry is “certainty.” We want you to have certainty that the electricity we provide for you is clean and reliable and that we will be able to keep rates affordable for you.
During our 78 years of serving members, Hood River Co-op members have largely had this certainty because of our relationship with the Bonneville Power Administration, which sells energy generated at federal dams on the Columbia and Snake Rivers. Unfortunately, litigation pertaining to the hydropower system has created more uncertainty than ever before when it comes to keeping your electricity affordable and reliable.
Nearly a quarter of what HR Co-op pays BPA for electricity funds fish and wildlife programs designed to mitigate for the existence of the dams. BPA’s customers pay $685 million annually for these programs and yet plaintiffs—including the state of Oregon—have, for years, used the courtroom to push for even more.
We recently learned a secret agreement between plaintiffs and the federal government could saddle BPA customers with billions of dollars in new costs. The agreement may also try to set the stage for the removal of dams we rely on for clean, carbon-free, reliable, and affordable energy, as well as for irrigation and navigation. At HR Co-op, our BPA costs already increased by 15% in October. The Public Power Council’s assessment is that the proposed agreement creates major cost risk and uncertainty and could further increase what we pay to BPA by as much as 40% or more.
What is so disappointing is that this agreement was made without input from Northwest public power. Our communities that rely on the dams had no voice in the decision, yet we will pay the cost of it. The agreement also doesn’t provide certainty against further litigation that could skyrocket costs even more. It threatens both the reliability of our grid and our access to carbon-free energy.
We need your help to put some common sense and transparency in this process. We need our elected leaders—such as Gov. Tina Kotek and our congressional delegation— to stand up for our communities that depend on federal hydropower. If they don’t, the only thing certain is that the electricity we provide you will be less affordable and reliable in the future.
We encourage you to voice your opposition to any efforts to undermine our incredible Northwest hydro system. Go to the Protect Our Power page and sign the petition to protect your power. Alternatively, use the QR code at right to help take action on this important issue.
General Manager
Libby Calnon