Replacing Snake River Dams | Seattle News

Washington State is investing $800,000 to study how to replace the power from the four lower Snake River dams—key to meeting clean energy goals as the state phases out fossil fuels. The state is seeking proposals from national labs to analyze what upgrades in generation, transmission, storage, and efficiency would be needed to maintain grid reliability. But critics argue the study assumes dam removal is inevitable, ignoring that the dams provide clean, carbon-free energy and are federally managed. Environmental advocates and tribes support removal for salmon restoration and treaty rights, while opponents warn it would require massive, costly alternatives like thousands of wind turbines and millions of solar panels—and could disrupt vital barge shipping, forcing more trucks onto roads and increasing emissions. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/1261068e43144aa6