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Save Energy to Save Salmon by Susan Geer The Oregonian, April 13, 2004

I am disappointed in The Oregonian's apparent views supporting the Bush administration's plans for salmon in Oregon, especially the proposal to cut spill water during the month of August.

Salmon provide so much for the environment and the economy. The administration's decision to eliminate spilling water over the dams on the Columbia and Snake rivers is just another in a long list of examples of how this administration has hurt our Northwest resources.

We Oregonians should be doing all we can to help salmon. This should include decreasing our electricity needs and becoming more energy-efficient, and particularly by not decimating the salmon to provide air conditioning! It's time to get serious about energy-efficient buildings and lighting.

bluefish does the math for your convenience: BPA estimates that eliminating summer spill would provide 1.15 - 1.49 million Megawatt*hours (MWh) of "surplus" electricity to sell (typically to California) at an estimated average price of $32/MWh (yielding $37 - $46 million). Prices of course will vary with time of day and electricity market conditions. BPA estimates that elimination of summer spill could potentially provide a 2% electricity rate reduction.