Making power in the intermountain west [Video]

SAM CARDWELL

Our region is at a critical time in its energy landscapes, navigating a complex network of resources, policies, and environmental concerns. This latest winter was a great case study for the reliability problem of intermittent green sources that are being pushed nationwide.

In Montana, Northwestern Energy spokesperson Jo Dee Black commented in January, “Wind and solar generation could not produce much if any, power during the extreme cold.”

In Washington, Grant County PUD stated, “frigid temperatures throughout Grant County and the Pacific Northwest pushed energy use to record levels, strained many regional electric grids, and put a heavy draw on our region’s capacity to generate electricity.”

The same problem occurs during periods of extreme heat. As wind-generated electricity fails during this time, hydropower picks up the slack. With a national movement to breach the Snake River dams, legislators need to take this concern seriously.

With that in mind, let’s take …