Native American tribes to back 1-3 GW of renewables to replace hydro dams

Four Native American tribes, two US states and the US government have agreed to work together to replace the energy now produced by hydroelectric dams.

Grand Coulee Dam

Image: Farwestern, Wikimedia Commons

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From pv magazine USA

An agreement between the US government, the US states of Washington and Oregon, and four Native American tribes will facilitate the buildout of at least 1 GW to 3 GW of tribally sponsored clean energy capacity, according to the administration of US President Joe Biden.

The agreement, proposed to the Biden administration by four tribes and two states, could receive more than $1 billion of federal funding. The agreement encompasses the original proposal, known as the Columbia Basin Restoration Initiative, and has the ultimate goal of restoring salmon, steelhead and other native fish populations in the river basin.

A key feature of the agreement is the goal of breaching four dams on the lower Snake River, whose locations, all in southeastern Washington, are shown in the image below from Trout Unlimited.

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Salmon populations in the river system have been dwindling due to the presence of hydroelectric dams, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has reported. Salmon and steelhead populations on the lower Snake River are listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act.

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