Can anyone really change the Snohomish County PUD? As a sign, Craig Collars’ first act as new GM must be to withdraw their proposed hydroproject on the Skykomish River. We’re watching.
Glaciers feeding the river are permanently disappearing. In 87 years of gauging, 2015 set record low flows. Record low snowpack last winter will be followed by another winter of low snowfall. Does he care diminished river flows result in higher water temperatures with lethal impacts to endangered fish and wildlife?
The Skykomish is not a Tinkertoy where SnoPUD engineers play God. Blasting the river diversion for hydro generation will further decrease flows, elevate water temperatures, release toxic leachates, risk new landslides and diminish the spiritual power of Canyon and Sunset falls. There are no acceptable mitigations.
Will SnoPUD Commissioners concede diminishing flows are also lethal to their hydroelectric scheme as each megawatt of hydropower becomes more costly to build?
To become relevant in the rapidly changing utility market, Collar must aggressively expand Solar Express, integrating MESA battery storage and replacing SnoPUD’s proposed hydroproject watt-for-watt with safe, solar electric inside its subscriber area. He can start by dusting off the 2013 Feasibility Study for Solar at Cathcart Landfill.
Collar can’t steal our state-protected Scenic River. Although SnoPUD acts like it, they don’t own this river. Withdraw SnoPUD’s proposed Skykomish hydro the easy way right now, by not filing for a FERC license, or the hard way fighting a tsunami of organized opposition at every step. They can choose.
Art Petersen
Seattle
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
