Hydropower For A Better Northwest
Lead the charge for the Northwest to realize its clean energy potential using hydroelectricity as the cornerstone.
Who We Are
Northwest RiverPartners is a member-driven organization that serves not-for-profit, community-owned electric utilities in Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, Utah, Nevada and Wyoming. We also proudly represent partners that support clean energy, low-carbon transportation, and agricultural jobs.
- We educate the public and policymakers about the important role of hydroelectricity
- We partner with our members, Native American tribes, communities, agencies, and businesses to achieve common goals
- We support research and analytics so the region can reach informed decisions
- We engage in public processes to provide balanced insights and suggestions
Endorsements
Join Our Fight
Hydroelectricity is a critical, carbon-free, resource to fighting climate change.
Goals For
The Northwest
- Fight climate change through hydro
Hydropower provides abundant renewable energy to our region while supporting other renewables and allowing for low-carbon transportation via our rivers. We advocate for the continued use of hydropower to help achieve a carbon-free future. - Restore healthy fish populations
Salmon are the lifeblood of the Northwest. We seek solutions that allow salmon and dams to coexist while supporting salmon recovery efforts that address habitat, predation, and management of such an invaluable resource. - Include vulnerable communities
Our region is home to communities of all walks of life. While we all benefit from hydropower, we recognize the importance of affordability and reliability to rural and low-income communities and ensure that their needs are valued in public policy. - Maintain a reliable electric grid
Dams are one of the only currently available renewable resources that can provide firm energy. They can also ramp up generation in a cold snap or heat wave–all without breaking the bank. We advocate for retaining these dams because they are essential to our way of life. - Support healthy agricultural communities
Agriculture and Northwest hydropower go hand in hand. Dams provide irrigation, energy, and transportation necessary to feed our region and make our crops available to people around the world, and we support the needs of our agricultural partners.
Learn More
Northwest RiverPartners is a member-driven hydropower advocacy organization that represents over 100 community-owned, not-for-profit utilities along with ports and businesses that are vital to the region.
- Hydro 101Learn the basics of hydroelectricity and how it powers our everyday lives.
- BlogsCatch up on the latest information relevant to what we’ve been working on.
- Latest NewsRead the latest news on what’s happening with Northwest hydropower.
- PodcastListen to the latest episodes of the official Northwest hydro podcast, Dam!
Join Our Fight
Hydroelectricity is a critical, carbon-free, resource to fighting climate change.
Our FAQs
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Who uses hydropower in the Northwest?
In short, everyone! Hydropower in the Northwest is generated by federally owned and operated dams, and distributed by the Bonneville Power Administration to publicly owned, not-for-profit utilities that serve millions of Northwest customers. Many utilities serving communities across the region also have ownership of hydropower facilities as well.
In total, about half of all energy capacity in the Northwest is hydropower. That means, if you live in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Western Montana, or even beyond, every battery charged, and switch flipped is powered by our dams.
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How does hydropower support affordable energy rates in the Northwest?
Hydropower plays a crucial role in keeping energy rates affordable in the Northwest. Thanks to a steady supply of precipitation in our region, we have an excellent source of reliable energy from our dams. Additionally, these facilities were established decades ago and are cost-effective to maintain and upgrade when compared to building new resources. This is especially important as many states and communities in the Northwest work to meet clean energy mandates and aggressive decarbonization goals.
This lower cost energy is supplied in large part by federal agencies to not-for-profit, community-owned utilities who prioritize maintaining the most affordable, cost-based rates for their customers. Hydropower is the main reason that millions of Northwest electricity customers enjoy the lowest rates in the nation.
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How does hydropower support grid reliability?
Grid reliability is a balancing act. A perfect harmony must be kept between the amount of energy we generate and the amount we consume at all times. If there’s too much energy on the grid, or not enough, energy infrastructure begins to fail, and blackouts can occur. To keep that balance, we need resources that can keep up with our energy needs.
Hydropower has led the way in reliably performing that balancing act in our region for decades. We’ve also seen with recent heat waves and cold snaps that when energy demand is far higher than normal, hydropower can ramp up to help meet that need, too. These extreme weather events have brought the Northwest dangerously close to blackouts, but each time hydropower has helped keep the lights on when we needed it.