Northwest residents continue to strongly support affordable, carbon-free hydropower as energy cost concerns spike

Hydropower stands out as the most valued energy source by Pacific Northwest residents, according to recent polling. As rising electricity costs continue to be a top concern, residents strongly support hydroelectric dams as an important source of clean energy for our region.

Support for hydroelectric dams is widespread, and few residents favor removing the dams on the lower Snake River. Rising electricity costs are top of mind for residents, and for many, the idea of removing dams raises concerns about making those costs worse.

Key Findings

  • Residents are increasingly concerned about the cost of electricity. Nearly 9 in 10 (88%) residents report that the cost of electricity is a somewhat or serious problem, which is up 7 percentage points since 2023, and more than their concerns about climate change (79%).
  • A strong majority of residents across the region support the use of hydroelectric dams. Overall, 77% of residents support hydropower with at least 75% in all four states surveyed. The dams also have broad political appeal, with 80% support of both Democrats and Republicans and 77% support among independents.
  • There is little support for removing the lower Snake River dams. Just 1 in 4 (24%) residents in the region support removing these dams, and support is low in each state ranging from only 21% to 25%.
  • Hydropower continues to stand out as the leading source of electricity in the Pacific Northwest, with more residents identifying it as the most important source of energy for electricity than solar, wind, natural gas, coal, or efficiency efforts. Its position ahead of all alternatives underscores its competitive strength in the region’s energy mix.
  • Support for salmon and steelhead hatcheries remains high. 7 in 10 (69%) residents support salmon and steelhead hatcheries, while only 9% oppose them outright. The remaining did not have an opinion or felt unsure.

Background

For the 18th year, DHM Research conducted a scientific survey on behalf of Northwest RiverPartners to gather opinions of residents in the Pacific Northwest about hydropower and the dams on the Columbia and Snake rivers. The results reveal consistent findings across Oregon, Washington, Idaho and Montana: people value the hydroelectric backbone of the region’s energy system and want to maintain it.

Methodology

This survey was conducted with 1,600 residents in Oregon, Washington, Idaho and Montana, between October 9 and 19 of 2025. Quotas were set by age, gender, education, race/ethnicity, and geography to ensure results were weighted to match the regional population. The margin of error in these results is ±2.6% overall.

Read more: