Hydropower is a clean, renewable resource that is fueled by nature and replenished by rain and melting snowpack as part of the water cycle. The system of dams on the Columbia and Snake rivers produce more than 22,000 megawatts of clean, carbon-free electricity every year. More than 94 percent of the power Oregon Trail Electric Cooperative receives from Bonneville Power Administration is carbon-free, 84.5 percent of which is hydroelectric.
The dams that make up the Federal Columbia River Power System are part of the Northwest's electric power system and provide more than just low-cost power. The structures are crucial for river transportation and trade, irrigation and agriculture, recreation, jobs and fish conservation. The dams remain a significant source of revenue for the region through the export of commercial cargo. An estimated $20 billion of cargo annually moves down the Columbia and Snake rivers.
Hydro remains a valuable resource that helps keep Oregon and the Pacific Northwest clean, efficient and green.