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  Energy myths of dam breaching

  I think this broad brush article has left out the crux of most environmental groups, concerned Native American  tribes, and sportsman groups plans for dam breaching.  Most groups are advocating removing the four lower Snake River dams to create sustainable anadramous fish runs.  Here's an excerpt from the Save Our Wild Salmon publication Energy Myths:  http://www.wildsalmon.org/library_files/Energy_myths.pdf

  "The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has estimated
  optimistically that the four dams combined provide
  about 1,100 - 1,200 average megawatts (aMW) annually to the region. That figure, on its surface, amounts to only about five percent of the region's total energy use.  Moreover, hydroelectric power can be an unpredictable and unreliable

  A closer look shows that when the Northwest needs
  electricity the most, the lower Snake River dams
  produce the least electricity. Typically, regional electricity demand is highest in winter, yet, in the winter months these dams combined generate only about 560 aMW - about two percent of the region's energy needs. That is because the dams are "run-of-the-river" dams, with almost no water storage capacity. Thus, in winter months when most of the water in the region lies frozen in mountain snowpack, the lower Snake River dams generate less electricity."

  I'm concerned with replacing renewable energy with fossil fuels, however it would not be difficult to replace this lost renewable energy with regional efficiency measures, and a modest investment in new renewable energy infrastructure i.e. wind, solar, geothermal, etc...
  On Another One Writes the Bust posted 2 years, 7 months ago 3 Responses