New Report Casts Doubt on Clean Energy Claims of Lower Snake River Dams

A new report championed by Patagonia challenges the idea that hydropower from the Lower Snake River dams is a clean energy source. The research suggests these dams are significant emitters of methane, a potent greenhouse gas contributing to climate change.

The report, titled "Estimate of Greenhouse Gas Emissions for the Lower Snake River Dams and Reservoirs using the All-Res Modeling Tool," comes from Tell The Dam Truth, a non-profit focused on exposing the environmental drawbacks of dams. The study cited in the report estimates the dams release roughly 1.8 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent annually, comparable to burning nearly 10,000 railcars of coal.

“Contrary to popular belief, hydropower is not a carbon-neutral source of energy,” Mark Easter, chief scientist for Tell The Dam Truth and a former senior research associate at Colorado State University’s Natural Resource Ecology Laboratory, said in a press release. “The concept of how methane gets produced by dams and reservoirs is not widely understood. And that’s the source of the problem here—the Lower Snake River dams and reservoirs are giant methane factories, and the science proves it.”

The study utilized the All-Res Modeling Tool, incorporating known greenhouse gas emissions throughout a dam's life cycle. Patagonia's Holdfast Collective helped develop the tool and has financially supported dam removal efforts on the Snake River for over two decades.

The report argues that dams not only emit methane but also destroy natural habitats that absorb carbon dioxide. Additionally, dams disrupt fisheries and deprive coastal areas of sand and rock needed to combat rising sea levels.

Patagonia, along with environmental groups and tribal leaders, advocate for removing the Lower Snake River dams as a solution. The Biden administration recently announced a partnership focused on salmon restoration and clean energy development in the Columbia River Basin.

“Only by removing these dams, can we begin to restore the magnificent Columbia and Snake River watershed, save numerous species from extinction, honor treaty rights and build climate resiliency,” Patagonia CEO Ryan Gellert said. “We applaud investments in true clean-energy solutions and programs that recover wild, self-sustaining fish populations that Tribes and other local communities depend on. We’re hopeful Congress will finally recognize that hydropower harms ecosystems and the climate, and that they must authorize removing the dams to free the Snake River.”