For decades, hydropower has been the region’s main source of affordable, reliable, carbon-free electricity. Electricity demand is dramatically growing from data centers, manufacturing, and electrifying vehicles, buildings, and other parts of our everyday lives. Meeting major increases in electric usage while complying with aggressive clean energy mandates will require all of our existing hydropower and significant increases in new generating resources.

Hydropower also provides firm generation–meaning it can provide energy on demand. When combined with its storage capabilities, our dams can provide ideal support for intermittent renewables like wind and solar, similar to how a battery functions. You can learn more about this process on our “Hydropower Essentials” page.

This clean energy future must also ensure it leaves nobody behind and keeping the price of electricity affordable is essential to that. The Northwest enjoys some of the lowest rates in the nation thanks to our hydropower.