Idahoans can thank hydropower for keeping the AC running

Daunting triple-digit temperatures have been relentless this summer in Idaho. In search of relief from the sweltering heat, each night families retreat to the comfort of their homes. We turn on our major appliances like stoves, washers, and dryers more during this time.

We begin using electronics like televisions, computers, and tablets, adding stress to the power grid. More lights are turned on, and most significantly, our air conditioners run more as temperatures rise. As we all consume power in the same evening hours, the daily demand for electricity and the stress on the energy grid reaches its peak. In Idaho and across the Pacific Northwest, reliable hydropower keeps all these essentials of life running. Yet, some take this power for granted.

On Idaho’s hottest days, we need power that is accessible and can be ramped up instantly. Hydropower ensures the lights stay on, thanks to the dependability of stored water compared to the intermittent nature of wind and solar power. Hydropower can do what wind and solar simply can’t.

Stored water is stored energy. Snow melts in the high country each spring and migrates into creeks and rivers. As this water moves towards dams, it carries incredible potential — the potential to irrigate crops, create habitat for fish, provide recreation, and generate the electricity we use every day. Like a giant battery, this stored water is harnessed as energy as it moves through a dam and is transmitted across the region. Energy on-standby has never been more crucial.

Despite the record demand for reliable, clean power, the Biden-Harris administration continues to take aim at the four dams on the Snake River, and has expanded its attack to the broader Federal Columbia River Power System in a highly politicized process. Vital to the Pacific Northwest's energy mix, the Snake River dams are increasingly crucial as the region incorporates fluctuating sources of power such as wind and solar. For over 50 years, these four dams have been instrumental in providing dependable hydropower to the region, contributing to the stability of our electrical grid.

The power generated by these dams is not only reliable, but clean and renewable. Because hydropower produces zero emissions, this power produced in Idaho and across the region is the cleanest in the nation. Hydropower, which relies on falling water, is our most productive renewable energy source.

Dams have long been the backbone of energy stability in Idaho and the Pacific Northwest. The importance of hydropower is undeniable. Only Congress has the authority to order the dams breached, and as long as I am a U.S. Senator, the dams that keep Idahoans’ lights on and air conditioners running will continue to provide clean reliable energy.

Jim Risch represents the state of Idaho in the U.S. Senate.