BOISE, Idaho – A new study finds hydropower from the lower Snake River dams could be replaced with renewable-energy sources, potentially providing a framework for saving the region's salmon.

A major linchpin in the argument against breaching the four dams has been the energy they produce, which amounts to about 4 percent of the Pacific Northwest's electricity. Conservation and fishing groups say the dams are a major impediment to migrating salmon and have pushed them nearly to extinction.

Sean O'Leary is communications director with the Northwest Energy Coalition, which commissioned the study.

"Any discussion of removing the dams really couldn't get past the question of, 'What do we do if the lights go off?' And so, the fact that this study shows categorically that reliability will actually be enhanced with a portfolio of renewable resources takes that issue off the table," says O’Leary.

The study, conducted by Utah-based Energy Strategies, only lays out the minimum requirements for transitioning to renewable power. O'Leary says agencies would be able to optimize resources and create a more efficient and inexpensive plan.

The research concludes that replacing the dams would cost customers a little more than a dollar per month and would not require a new gas-fired coal plant to transition.

Supporters of the dams say agriculture producers in the region rely on them for barging. But O'Leary believes a transition away from the dams could actually help nearby communities.

"That build-out of resources – wind, solar and storage – will require a lot of jobs and a lot of investment in the region that will help, as would removal of the dams,” says O’Leary. “So those are things that will accrue to the benefit of those communities in many cases, as well as the fishing and tourism industries that will grow."

A district court judge rejected the federal government's plan to protect the region's endangered salmon in 2016. The decision requires agencies to devise a new approach, including consideration of breaching the dams, and a draft environmental impact statement is expected by March 2020.

Idaho Congressman Raul Labrador and other regional leaders are pushing to hold a vote on House Bill 3144, which would require action from Congress to remove the dams.


get more stories like this via email

Minnesota's high-profile community solar program will stick around after state lawmakers opted not to approve a sunset provision.

Assistance groups said it's good news for renters and low-income households seeking lower energy bills. In the recent legislative session, a group of lawmakers from both sides of the aisle proposed phasing out the program, arguing it did not make economic sense with more utility-scale solar projects coming on board. But organizations working with under-resourced populations strongly pushed to keep it in place.

Keiko Miller, community solar program director for the advocacy group Minneapolis Climate Action, said they don't have to worry about this option becoming out of reach again.

"Community solar flips it all on its head and allows all people to participate evenly and benefit from renewable energy," Miller explained.

Minnesota's program started in 2013 and is viewed as a national model. Officials said it caters to people who are not in a position to install solar panels on their roof. Instead, they can subscribe to a community solar garden and still get the benefits on their electric bill. Reforms were adopted in 2023 to address underlying issues that had surfaced.

Program supporters said the changes still need time to prove their effectiveness. Miller noted her group does outreach with many renters and low- to moderate-income households, making them aware of the option. She pointed to a community solar garden sitting on the roof of Minneapolis' North High School as a symbol of boosting accessibility to neighborhood residents feeling the energy burden.

"The vast majority of our subscribers are from North Minneapolis," Miller observed. "On average, they're receiving $100 to $300 of reduced energy bills a year."

Minnesota has a mandate for utilities to produce 100% carbon-free electricity by 2040. Lawmakers and activists from both sides of the debate mentioned their vision for the program was crucial in helping the state meet the benchmark. The program's survival also comes as Republicans in Congress move to repeal clean energy incentives.


get more stories like this via email

Workers and families in Indiana could feel the impact of the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act" moving through the U.S. Senate. The legislation would roll back clean-energy tax credits and investments passed in the Inflation Reduction Act.

Jim Clarida, business manager for the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers in northwest Indiana, said those investments have helped create jobs and attract nearly $8 billion in private energy development to the state.

"Since the IRA was passed," he said, "$7.8 billion in private clean-energy investments have flown into my home state here in Indiana, fueling the construction and manufacturing of EV battery plants, expanding solar and wind developments."

Clarida said Indiana has about two gigabytes of utility-scale solar projects under its belt and has another gigawatt in the pipeline.

Supporters of the big budget bill have argued that the changes are necessary to cut federal spending and reduce the national deficit by eliminating costly subsidies, although it also includes an extension of tax cuts that benefit mostly wealthy Americans.

U.S. Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., warned that the bill could drive up household electricity costs by hundreds of dollars and eliminate clean-energy job growth across the Midwest.

"This could create a recession if we lose them all," he said. "And so first, our union members - not just electricians, but everyone - should know that jobs are at stake in their union, either for themselves or their brothers and sisters who are in the union."

Indiana ranks among the top 10 states for clean-energy job growth since the Inflation Reduction Act passed. Schumer urged Hoosiers to weigh in on what he calls "critical energy investments" as the Senate debates the bill.


get more stories like this via email

A federal proposal moving through Congress could stall Michigan's booming rooftop solar industry by ending key tax credits that have fueled clean energy growth, nationwide.

What is being called the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act" would eliminate the 30% credit for rooftop solar and other home energy systems, including those leased by companies.

Michigan leads the nation in Inflation Reduction Act-funded projects, attracting more than $27 billion in investment and creating more than 26,000 jobs.

Allan O'Shea, founder and CEO of 50-year-old CBS Solar in Copemish, said about 90% of his family-owned business is residential rooftop solar.

"That 90% would lose one of the benefits that go with solar and that's a 30% tax credit," O'Shea pointed out. "The other 10% of our business is commercial and it would survive but the damage would be done. We're talking 25+ employees here."

O'Shea sent a heartfelt letter to most senators, expressing concerns about the bill's effects on his livelihood and others'. Supporters of the big tax-cut and spending bill argued it would boost the economy and strengthen national security.

Backers also said the bill delivers the biggest tax cut in U.S. history for those earning $30,000 to $80,000 a year, with 15% off their taxes. O'Shea emphasized he and his customers are money-smart and value long-term investments, adding the issue is not the goal, but how the bill is being pushed through.

"I just hope for the saner minds, the senators and the Congress people that we have in Michigan, to step up and slow the pace down," O'Shea urged. "You can sunset it."

In 2023, solar power jumped 51% nationwide, with solar making up more than half of all the new electricity added to the grid.


get more stories like this via email