Episode 6 – Protect Our Hydropower: Take Action with Voices for Cooperative Power
In this episode of Power Factor, Jim Anderson talks about attending a Northwest Power and Conservation Council meeting where supporters of dam removal filled the room—and Jim was the only one speaking up for hydropower. He explains why that matters, because decisions made in meetings like these can affect what cooperative members see on their monthly bills. The key message is simple: when people don’t speak up, others make the decisions. Members are encouraged to get involved by joining Voices for Cooperative Power and helping ensure rural and cooperative perspectives are part of the conversation around keeping electricity reliable and affordable.
Episode 6 Transcript
Welcome to Power Factor, the podcast that takes you behind the scenes at Midstate Electric Cooperative. I’m Jim Anderson, the CEO and General Manager, and I’ll be your host as we dive into topics about our industry, the challenges we face, and the members we proudly serve. This podcast is about keeping you informed on what’s happening in the energy world.
0:28
Recently I had an opportunity to attend a meeting of the Northwest Power and Conservation Council, and I wanted to share something with you. Not as a headline, but as a firsthand experience. There were about thirty or forty people in the room. And out of all those individuals, only two of us were there to support the dams. Only two, and I was the only one that actually spoke in support of the dams. Everyone else in that room was advocating for the removal of the dams. That’s not speculation. That is something I saw sitting in the meeting. And I can tell you this, after the meeting I shared my experience with a number of utilities across Washington and Oregon, and what I heard back was consistent. They are seeing the exact same things in the rooms that they were in. The same imbalance, the same level of advocacy, the same lack of representation for public power and rural communities. So this isn’t isolated. This is happening across our region. Many of the individuals in that room are backed by well-funded organizations, including groups like the Sierra Club and others. These organizations have significant resources to push their message and influence outcomes, and that’s exactly what they’re doing.
01:40
Now, you might say, why does this matter to you? Because those dams are a crucial part of the infrastructure that keeps your lights on and your power affordable. They provide firm, reliable, dispatchable power. Power that we count on when demand is high. If that resource goes away and it has to be replaced, and replacing hydropower is not cheap. It often means going on devolved markets with higher prices. That increases costs across our region. And if we’re not at the table, we’re on the menu. And by that I mean if our voices aren’t being heard, the decisions get made for us, not with us. And those decisions will show up on your monthly power bill, in reliability and in long-term future power here in Central Oregon.
02:26
And that’s why it’s critical that we stand together. Through Voices for Cooperative Power, we can ensure our perspective is heard. I need you, our members, to be part of that. I need you to sign up, I need you to stay engaged, and I need you to be ready to respond when we need you. In the past, when we asked before, you responded, and you wrote letters to Senator Wyden about Fix Our Forests. We need you to do that with this. This issue is not going away. It’s paramount in keeping our rates low for you, our members. This will also require engagement with elected officials both at the state and federal level. It matters whether they hear only from well-funded organizations or from the people who really rely on this system day to day who live in Central Oregon.
03:14
Before I wrap up, I want to connect on something else that is happening right now. There’s continuing litigation involving increased spill levels at the dams. That might sound a little technical, but it actually has real financial consequences. Every time that water is spilled instead of generating electricity, that is power lost. The lost generation has to be replaced, typical at a higher cost by the Bonneville Power Association. These costs flow directly down to utilities like Midstate, which means higher wholesale cost, pressure on rates, and ultimately an impact on your monthly power bill. This is real and it’s already happening. So whether it’s dam removal, increased spill, or a broader energy policy decision, it comes back to one thing maintaining reliable, affordable power for all of our members. If we want to protect that future, we cannot sit on the sidelines today. Because all of the people that are showing up are the ones who will shape the outcome. As a cooperative, that means all of us. We want to make sure your voice is heard, and the people making those decisions hear it loud and clear.
04:24
Sign up for Voices for Cooperative Power today. Encourage other members, friends, families, and neighbors to also sign up. We need you to make sure that our voice is heard. Thank you for tuning in to this episode of Power Factor. Be sure to subscribe and follow us on your favorite podcast application to stay informed on the latest from Midstate Electric Cooperative. We appreciate you listening in as always. Stay safe, stay informed, and stay empowered. Until next time.