WAWG
The Washington Association of Wheat Growers joined with other Columbia River System Operations stakeholders in a letter to Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson, urging him to refrain from becoming a plaintiff in river system litigation and meeting with stakeholders instead to discuss the benefits of the system.
“Washington and other regional stakeholders are at a critical crossroads; we are hoping to steer toward a collaborative path of discussing and acting on workable solutions for the state and region, not continuing down the divisive path of litigation. Our region’s nonprofit, community-owned electric utilities are the primary funders of one of the world’s largest fish and wildlife mitigation programs, and along with the responsibility of providing reliable, safe, and affordable electricity to millions of people, are invested in solutions that help both salmon and people,” the letter states.
Over the past few years, Washington state has gone from having some of the lowest retail electricity rates in the country to barely remaining in the top 10. According to recent reporting, residential electric rates in the state increased by more than 12% between May 2024 and May 2025.
“Approximately 60% of Washington’s electricity is generated from hydropower. The federal dams in the FCRPS (Federal Columbia River Power System) supply millions of people we serve with reliable, clean, and affordable hydropower, provide essential irrigation and cargo transportation, support municipal water and wastewater treatment facilities, and have helped establish a significant recreation economy,” the letter said.
Reports from the Western Electricity Coordinating Council warn that all subregions in the West are moving towards an elevated risk for blackouts. The four lower Snake River dams play a crucial role in both preventing blackouts and mitigating their impacts if they occur. The dams typically carry about 25% of the operating reserves of Bonneville Power Administration and were critical in preventing rolling blackouts during the June 2021 heatwave.
“We remain hopeful that your administration will consider working with the region to continue making progress on our clean energy and salmon recovery goals, which do not involve the state’s participation in the litigation involving the FCRPS,” the letter concludes.
Besides the letter, stakeholders also placed ads in the Seattle Times and the Spokesman-Review.