Cantwell, Canadian ambassador discuss Columbia River treaty

Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., discussed progress toward a new, modernized Columbia River Treaty with Canadian ambassador David MacNaughton on Thursday.

“Modernizing the Columbia River Treaty to balance flood control, ecosystem protection,and hydropower generation can be a win-win for both Canada and the United States,” Cantwell said in a statement. “I am happy to report that Ambassador MacNaughton agreed that there are several areas for our countries to work together.”

Cantwell met with McNaughton ahead of the June 29 North American Leaders Summit in Ottawa, Canada. President Obama will meet with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto.

Updating the treaty, which has not been revised since it was ratified in 1964, will allow the United States and Canada to work on critical clean energy solutions, such as smart grid with intermittent power, grid-scale storage and clean infrastructure solutions, according to Cantwell’s staff.

This story was originally published June 23, 2016 at 4:09 PM with the headline "Cantwell, Canadian ambassador discuss Columbia River treaty."