The Bonneville Power Administration is being challenged in the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals after it signed an agreement that’s being called a roadmap for breaching the Snake River dams in Eastern Washington.
A petition for the court to review the agreement was filed by the Public Power Council, which represents consumer-owned electric utilities relying on Columbia and Snake River hydropower . Those include the Benton and Franklin PUDs and the Benton REA.
The agreement signed Dec. 13 includes measures to restore Columbia and Snake River salmon and steelhood and includes funding to study or replace the energy, transportation, irrigation and recreation services provided by the four lower Snake River dams, paving the way for dam breaching.
The power council is concerned that the memorandum of understanding signed by BPA Administrator John Hairston has the potential to result in cost increases or grid reliability issues.
Signatories included BPA along with other federal agencies, plus Oregon, Washington state and four Northwest tribes.