Our Voice: Columbia River Treaty must include cheaper power rates
Negotiating cheaper utility rates is a top goal for the U.S. as Columbia River Treaty talks begin this week with Canada. The significance of these discussions cannot be overstated.
The treaty was ratified in 1964 and is in dire need of an update. Officials are meeting in Washington, D.C., May 29-30 to kick-start the discussion.
The treaty is a monumental document that provides the framework for hydropower production and flood control on the Columbia River, as well as irrigation, recreation and navigation.
This pact is absolutely critical to the health and well-being of everyone living in the Northwest. The treaty has made the 1,200-mile Columbia River into one of the most tightly controlled rivers in the world. Its watershed is about the size of France and includes parts of Washington, Oregon, Montana, Idaho, Utah, Wyoming and British Columbia.
Now that talks finally have begun, we hope our representatives at the table can work out a better deal for U.S. utility companies and customers.
The river’s headwaters are in Canada, so officials there determine how much water is released and when.
In return for helping produce hydropower in our country by storing water in huge reservoirs, Northwest electricity users pay a “Canadian entitlement,” which provides $250 million to $350 million a year worth of electrical power.
A group of U.S. utilities agreed to give $254 million to Canada for half the electricity produced downstream during the first 30 years of the treaty. Then, in 1994, the U.S began paying yearly amounts that fluctuate with market prices, so the payment has increased significantly.
The benefit to Canada has ended up much higher than U.S. officials originally anticipated. Federal legislators say those payments are too much and, while the terms laid out in the original treaty provided mutual benefits for both nations, the deal today gives an unfair advantage to our northern neighbors.
Figuring out the Canadian entitlement will be of paramount interest as talks continue, as will environmental concerns and salmon runs.
Tribal leaders, climate scientists and other environmental groups are pushing for a new treaty that addresses river flows for fish, not just hydropower.
The Bonneville Power Administration and the Army Corp of Engineers have crafted a recommendation that includes power generation, flood control, the ecosystem and water quality for salmon.
That seems like a good start.
Portions of the treaty expire in 2024, but when the document hit its 50th anniversary four years ago, the door was open for review. We have been pushing for these talks since then.
Now finally, after much delay, the dialogue is starting. We hope an agreement that is fair to both sides can be reached in a reasonable time frame.
This story was originally published May 30, 2018 at 10:34 AM with the headline "Our Voice: Columbia River Treaty must include cheaper power rates."