Letter: Lower Snake River dams face economic pressure from declining output and cheaper solar energy
By
Sam Fletcher
Pale and squishy. Not ruined, just not done.
Summary
This letter to the editor argues that the four lower Snake River dams are facing metaphorical "cracks" due to declining energy generation (down 29% over five years) and increasing economic uncompetitiveness. It contrasts Bonneville Power Administration's projected wholesale electricity price of $40/MWh for 2026-2028 with the plummeting cost of utility-scale solar energy, citing Berkeley National Laboratory data showing Power Purchase Agreements in the West (excluding California) at around $24/MWh, suggesting solar is now cheaper than hydropower from these dams.
Key quotes
· 3 pulledCracks in the four lower Snake River dams? Not literally, but metaphorically weakening and widening.
Over the past five years, the energy these dams have generated have declined by 29%.
The Berkeley National Laboratory reports Power Purchase Agreements in the West (excluding California) provide power at around $24/Megawatt
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