Last week, the Trump administration announced that it would withdraw from the 2023 Federal Columbia River Power System settlement, known as the “12/14 Agreement.” The agreement was reached by the Biden Administration and the Six Sovereigns, which includes the States of Oregon and Washington, the Nez Perce Tribe, Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation, Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, and the Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs Reservation.
During the process of the original agreement, Northwest RiverPartners submitted nearly 40 comments and studies on behalf of its members but saw no meaningful effort to include the perspective of the millions of electric utility customers, ports, agricultural organizations and businesses that NW RiverPartners represents. Lacking representation and transparency, concerns were raised about the durability and outcome of the agreement.
The American Public Power Association (APPA) has also come out to say it appreciates the recent actions taken by the federal government to withdraw from the agreement. “APPA and its members had significant concerns with the ’12/14 Agreement’ from the beginning. The negotiation process lacked transparency and failed to seek input from critical public power stakeholders,” said Scott Corwin, APPA’s president and CEO.
Read more:
- Flawed 2023 Columbia Basin Settlement Agreement withdrawn, opening door for sustainable solutions – Northwest RiverPartners
- APPA Says it Appreciates Federal Action Tied to Lower Snake River Dams | American Public Power Association
- Stopping Radical Environmentalism to Generate Power for the Columbia River Basin – The White House