Sara Patton
Executive Director of the NW Energy Coalition
Seattle, WA
"We can affordably meet new energy needs and fulfill our climate and salmon-recovery responsibilities. It's not an either-or. Our region has at its fingertips far more clean energy resources than we're going to need: enough energy efficiency to cover most new power demand; enough new, affordable renewable energy potential to cover the rest ... many times over.With these clean resources we can replace the coal-fired power that now provides just a small fraction of our electricity but most of our power system's climate emissions and other toxins.
With these clean resources we can cope with eroding supply and reliability of Northwest hydropower. Remember, the climate-induced changes to the Columbia-Snake river system that affect power production also deepen the plight of salmon that the lower Snake River dams already have pushed to the brink of extinction.For decades, federal and utility-owned dams in the Columbia-Snake basin have given Washington and other Northwest residents some of the cheapest electric power in the nation. We have a responsibility to restore salmon populations decimated by the lower Snake River dams. Doing so would not noticeably affect power bills, but would rebuild our region's salmon economy, bringing jobs and income to local communities.
Our power, climate and salmon-restoration challenges are completely intertwined. They will be solved together, as well .... as part of creating a climate- and wildlife-friendly clean and affordable energy future."
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