They would have a hard time getting them built today but since they are up and running it would be a waste to shut them down. They are also key to irrigation in the area.

pmax, the dams have to get permits renewed every 50/75 years - you can send in your comments

many smaller dams already have been completely removed, not just shut down - usually to protect fisheries stocks

the big BPA dams will go away eventually but in the meantime they provide a lot of power

and BTW the turbines at Bonneville can go from stopped to full power in just 10 minutes (that's form BPA directly) - this helps greatly with load balancing on the western grid, which will be more important as more PV and wind power are added

BPA is also going around pointing out that their major grid infrastructure is near major wind corridors and PV areas, making it very easy to tap right into the their grid

If only the fish has a say in it !

When the coal industry can be shut down for environmental concerns, why should hydro power be exempt ?

hydro is not exempt - re-read the above

Big Oil should prop up the environmentalists who want to knock down the dams, like the way GM funded Cesar Chavez. Only difference is that in that case, they were opening up a legal precedent. This would be more like slash and burn.

Nothing more than rubber stamping ....

if a dam can't be built today due to environmental factors, it shouldn't be permitted.

What’s wrong about that? You should not buy an interesting car?

Hey man, if that's what moves yer pecker, then go for it.

you are obviously ignorant of the permit reviews, and the fact that a number of dams have failed review and been removed

are you anti-hydro for some particular reason?

I agree with your 2nd point

Spare me the adhom attack. That the permitting process is highly political shouldn't be news to you or I or anyone of the regulars here ... Keystone pipeline is a good example.


Seems inconsistent to me to be pro-hydro and yet against the dams which are environmentally "unclean" due to the undeniable impact.

I'm all for removing many dams. But for low-head hydro where appropriate.

No free lunch and everything has some env'l impact, so you put it all together in the NEPA process with a range of alternatives for public comment, then pick one. If illegal the courts will block it.

Some say it takes too long; others say XX shouldn't be built at all.

You may be interested to know that a panel of scientists investigated whether removal of ALL the big dams on the Columbia and Snake rivers would 'save the salmon' - they found it would not do that alone. Enviro's couldn't believe it... but failed to show the scientists were wrong. It is a lot more complex than just dams.

Almost relevant to the discussion: - I saw two bumper stickers on a Tesla Model 3 yesterday (wasn't able to get a pic) and thought it funny enough to share here:

"Silent but Deadly"

"Loud Pipes Save Lives"

Oh, the irony...

That's kinda funny. Like saying Obama/Biden and Trump 2020. You're just gonna piss everyone off.

LOl! At least the message is consistent.

I asked wd15 this back on 1/22 but for some reason no one will answer my questions.

Those are good questions.

In Seattle the zoning changed a while back that eliminated ample parking for new apartments and such. (push to put everyone riding public unicorns I suppose)

Anyway, I'll take a crack at your question. The electric car won't need to park on the street, or in rural areas. The cars will drive themselves away to the nearest unicorn factory, where they will feed on rainbows and virtuous thoughts all night and return to pick up their virtuous owners in the morning.

Meanwhile, people with gas cars . . wait, what am I saying. Those will be made illegal for not being virtuous enough.

Ha ha - exactly! :D

If you’re looking for someone to argue that EVs are the answer to all our transportation problems you are in the wrong place. I believe everyone here who owns an EV also owns at least one ICE vehicle and I haven’t heard any of us call for the elimination of ICEs. Your assumption that people who own and enjoy EVs all hate and want to eliminate ICEs is ridiculous.

I have 5 registered ICE vehicles plus tractors and lawnmowers. The last thing I want is to have them outlawed. My 1947 Dodge is an environmentalist’s nightmare - its crankcase ventilation system is a road draft tube! I drive it regularly. Your fleet of vehicles is likely more politically correct than mine, so don’t ask me to answer your questions.

Your Dodge is as 'green' a vehicle as they come, well done for keeping it going for so long

How many new EV's do you think it will outlast?

It's the throw away society and I want a new ..... that we live in that is causing all the problems not cars

Holy ***** that's funny.