Last week, I filed legislation encouraging federal lawmakers to protect the four lower Snake River dams from removal.

Senate Joint Memorial 8010 formally requests approval of the Northwest Energy Security Act, introduced late last month by U.S. Rep. Dan Newhouse and an Idaho senator. The act safeguards the hydroelectric power, irrigation networks, and economic stability provided by dams.

The dams are essential to Washington’s energy security, transportation networks, and agriculture. With new leadership across the federal government, now is an ideal time to respond more proactively to those who blame the dams for harming salmon when good science says otherwise.

The Ice Harbor, Lower Monumental, Little Goose, and Lower Granite dams lie between Clarkston and Pasco. They supply reliable, carbon-free electricity to thousands of homes, businesses, and industries. The power generated by the four lower dams is estimated to serve 750,000 homes.

The former Biden administration supported dismantling the dams, the largest dam removal project in U.S. history.

My legislation highlights the efficiency of our hydroelectric dams. These dams provide low-cost electricity essential to meeting the goals set forth by Washington’s Clean Energy Transformation Act. They also enable regional agricultural irrigation, create a river-based economy, and support regional fish-conservation efforts.

Breaching the lower Snake River dams could add 3 million metric tons of carbon to the atmosphere if fossil-fuel electricity is the replacement. It could also raise the region’s electricity costs by $800 million, including a 50% jump in the Bonneville Power Administration’s power costs. This is not a viable solution to supporting all of the increased electricity needs in the future, as required by the Climate Commitment Act. This could increase energy costs in our homes by 25%.