Hydropower and Washington’s Renewable
Energy Goals  -- A Hydropower FAQ

 In Washington State,river groups have joined with renewable energy advocates to keep pending Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) legislation simple and focused on new sources of renewable energy. 

The Hydropower Reform Coalition developed this Hydropower FAQ to offset the call to build new hydropower dams and to allow these new dams to be eligible to review renewable energy credits. Besides the impacts on river systems, allowing new dams to recieve renewable energy credits will do little to provide new jobs, technology, and incentives for new energy from wind, solar and geothermal.

Over the past few months, there have been a number of proposals and amendments aimed at modifying the Washington State Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS), established by the citizen-based Initiative-937 and codified at R.C.W. 19.285 et. seq. as part of the Energy Independence Act.  River and Renewable Energy groups have been working to reject any modification that would expand the current definition of eligible renewables as it relates to hydropower.

I-937 originally sought to diversify our state’s energy portfolio by developing new renewable energy resources that would produce new and sustainable energy, jobs, industries, research, science,investment, and economy here in Washington State. (See RCW19.285.020 – Declaration of Policy.)  Hydropower, a mature technology is already included as part of I-937 as it recognises under its definition of eligible renewables efficiency upgrades at existing dams, energy from irrigation pipes and canals where new diversions and impoundments are not created, and for potential new hydropower technologies such as marine, wave and tidal.  Power from harmful new dams is not. Now however, the industry is trying to get lawmakers to give them what the citizens of Washingtonwould not.