Statement from John Hairston, BPA Administrator and CEO
"Today on National Hydropower Day, we celebrate the value of hydropower in the Pacific Northwest and the dependable, carbon-free energy provided by our region's rivers.
Hydropower is the original renewable resource, and its flexibility and reliability complement the integration of new renewable energy sources like wind and solar. The emission-free electricity produced by the 31 federal dams fuels the region's economic prosperity and is the foundation for our clean energy future."
Background
Hydropower generated in the Columbia River Basin, from federal and nonfederal dams, provides about 55% of the energy needed to keep up with the demand for electricity in the Northwest. The electricity from federal dams alone accounts for roughly 30% of the region's total energy. Hydropower's constant availability allows for the integration of other renewables like wind and solar and is the foundation on which the Northwest is building its carbon-free energy future.
Hydropower from the federal system is reliable, having the ability to generate electricity 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. It's a constant resource that can provide electricity even when the wind isn't blowing and the sun isn't shining.
Hydropower is also inexpensive to generate, a benefit BPA passes on to its utility customers. Anyone served by a public or people's utility district, municipal electric utility or rural electric cooperative in the Northwest enjoys the benefits of this low-cost, renewable resource.
Federal law dictates that public power entities in the Northwest have preference to the electricity generated at the dams. BPA provides that power to public utility districts, municipal electric utilities and rural electric coops across the Pacific Northwest.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Bureau of Reclamation own and operate the 31 dams that make up the Federal Columbia River Power System. The remaining dams in the Northwest are owned by public and private utilities.
More information about the federal dams, which were constructed between 1909 and 1977, can be found at BPA Facts. To learn more about National Hydropower Day, visit www.hydro.org/hydroday.
About BPA
The Bonneville Power Administration, headquartered in Portland, Oregon, is a nonprofit federal power marketer that sells wholesale, carbon-free hydropower from 31 federal dams in the Columbia River Basin. It also markets the output of the region's only nuclear plant. BPA delivers this power to more than 140 Northwest electric utilities, serving millions of consumers and businesses in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, western Montana and parts of California, Nevada, Utah and Wyoming. BPA also owns and operates more than 15,000 circuit miles of high-voltage power lines and 261 substations, and provides transmission service to more than 300 customers. In all, BPA provides nearly a third of the power generated in the Northwest. To mitigate the impacts of the federal dams, BPA implements a fish and wildlife program that includes working with its partners to make the federal dams safer for fish passage. It also pursues cost-effective energy savings and operational solutions that help maintain safe, affordable, reliable electric power for the Northwest.
www.bpa.gov
CONTACT:
Doug Johnson, BPA
503-713-7658 or 503-230-5131
For more information
905 NE Eleventh Ave
Portland Oregon
United States 97208-3621
www.bpa.gov
