Recap of the NWEC Spring Clean and Affordable Energy Conference
Nimiipuu Energy is a leading organization in solar energy projects, bringing clean power to rural communities and reservations. Photo credit: Nimiipuu Energy
IRU, alongside other member organizations across the region, attended the Northwest Energy Coalition’s Spring 2024 Clean and Affordable Energy Conference in Boise on May 7th. The conference provided an opportunity to network with clean energy advocates and to listen in on panels covering salmon recovery and decarbonizing the Northwest energy system, the rapidly changing energy landscape across the West, and the place of customers and communities in the midst of this change.
The discussions around implementing the Columbia Basin Restoration Initiative (CBRI) agreement between the Six Sovereigns and the federal government in order to recover wild salmon populations were of most relevance to our work in advocating for Lower Snake River Dam removal and river restoration.
Chairman Shannon Wheeler of the Nez Perce Tribe gave the conference’s keynote address, which centered around Tribal sovereignty and fishing rights, and the nexus between salmon recovery and clean energy development. He was then joined by Jeremiah Baumann, Director of Policy and Implementation at the Department of Energy on a panel discussing the work ahead to implement the CBRI agreement.
A main point of discussion during this panel was the Regional Energy Needs Assessment - a planning process involving the 6 Sovereigns, federal government (mainly through the DOE), Bonneville Power Administration, the Northwest Power and Conservation Council, and stakeholders to advance the energy resource development and infrastructure investment necessary to meet the region’s decarbonization goals and build Tribal energy sovereignty.
A crucial cog in this planning process will be the development of scenarios that describe what blend of power will be necessary to replace the Lower Snake River Dams in the event of Congressional approval for breach. As new sources of energy and infrastructure are installed - an “accounting mechanism” will track the progress made towards replacing the dams’ services in a publicly transparent way. This accounting and highlighting of LSRD replacement is of particular importance to salmon recovery so that the urgency dam removal does not get lost in the wider work to decarbonize the Northwest energy grid.
Other panel discussions throughout the day that touched on the need for an integrated Western electricity market where diverse resources from varied geographies across the region can be efficiently drawn upon to meet spikes in demand - solar from the sunny Southwest or wind from the Montana plains can be plugged into the Northwest in times of low hydropower output for instance.
Finally, the discussions around where customers and communities lie during this time of rapid energy development and decarbonization grounded the conference in the need for equity and involvement while these changes occur. How people can use their voice and see real benefits during this changing energy landscape, where historically these decisions have excluded and marginalized many, is just as important as the move away from carbon-generating resources.
The longstanding inequities of the current power generation landscape of course have resulted in the destruction of native salmon runs across the Columbia Basin, including every species of Snake River salmon/steelhead. Developing a clean energy grid while recovering salmon is at the heart of the CBRI, thanks to NWEC for hosting an inspiring and informative conference that touched on the many aspects of this ongoing effort.
Click here, use your voice to hold BPA accountable in carrying out the commitments of the federal government to lead the region towards a more equitable future with a decarbonized energy grid and abundant salmon.
Two examples of Tribes continuing to lead to way in clean energy development and salmon recovery: