Salmon Versus Power: Dam Removal and Power Supply Adequacy

Dam removal is gaining both support and resistance in different communities and political circles in the Pacific Northwest of the United States, given its sensitive environmental and economic consequences. The Columbia River Basin (CRB) offers a unique opportunity to examine to what extent the replacement of hydroelectric dams affects reliability and adequacy of the power system given long-standing proposals to remove the four Lower Snake River dams to improve the survival of the endangered salmon species. Key results show that replacing the four dams leads to an inadequate energy supply, necessitating the need for more capacity to satisfy requirements. Although the four dams have higher nameplate capacity, they provide a much lower effective capacity. Thus, the debate about removing dams should be an opportunity for CRB managers to consider investment options in new ecosystem services and energy solutions that maintain adequate performance.