On Oct. 14, the state of Oregon restarted litigation on the operation of the federal dams on the Columbia and Snake rivers. Oregon’s lawsuit calls for a dramatic reduction in hydropower generation, which has consequences for you and the more than 1 million Oregonians who rely on our hydro system for clean, reliable and affordable electricity. 

In response, I signed a letter with my colleagues from Oregon’s other consumer-owned utilities to Gov. Tina Kotek expressing our concern with this decision and conveying that we believe now is the time to talk rather than fight over hydropower and salmon. The best way to ensure we have a robust salmon population and adequate clean, reliable electricity is to step out of the courtroom and back to the table. This long, costly and divisive litigation has the potential to  dramatically raise electricity bills for Oregonians who can least afford them. We have never shied away from our responsibility to support salmon recovery in our hydropower system. Through your monthly rates, you are the funders of the world’s largest fish and wildlife mitigation program—one that shows results and proves that salmon and hydropower can successfully coexist. 

But we are also responsible for keeping your lights on. The actions by the state of Oregon make brownouts and blackouts more likely by devaluing a hydropower system that serves as a critical lifeline during extreme weather events, such as heat domes and ice storms.

We believe now is the time to come together to chart a sustainable path toward effective solutions that will protect salmon and maintain a quality of life for Oregonians who rely on our federal dams for power. We hope the state of Oregon will step back out of the courtroom and join us at the table.

Brent Bischoff
General Manager and CEO
Coos-Curry Electric Cooperative