Pacificorp Lauds Release Of Final Environmental Review Of Klamath River Dam Removal Project

News Release from Pacific Power
August 26th, 2022 2:23 PM

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Media Hotline: 503-813-6018

PacifiCorp lauds release of final environmental review of Klamath River dam removal project

PORTLAND, Ore. --Aug. 26, 2022--PacifiCorp, along with other signatories to the Klamath Hydroelectric Settlement Agreement, is encouraged by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s completion of a key environmental review of the Klamath River dam removal project. 

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s issuance today of a Final Environmental Impact Statement for the project represents a major milestone in the implementation of the Klamath Hydroelectric Settlement Agreement, which set forth a process that began in 2010 to study and undertake the removal of four hydroelectric facilities (J.C. Boyle, Copco No. 1, Copco No. 2, and Iron Gate) that now comprise the Lower Klamath Project. 

Issuance of the Final Environmental Impact Statement by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission represents the culmination of a period of studies more than a decade long, along with environmental reviews related to the dam removal project that ultimately resulted in an amended license surrender application submitted to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission in November 2020. This was followed by an issuance of a Draft Environmental Impact Statement by FERC in February 2022, and issuance of the Final EIS today. In the Final EIS, FERC staff concluded that dam removal, with minor modifications to the proposal, represents the preferred action. 

“PacifiCorp appreciates the diligent and timely review of the Klamath dam removal project by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission staff and looks forward to continuing our collaborative work with stakeholders to achieve the balanced customer outcome represented by the Klamath settlement,” said Stefan Bird, president and CEO of Pacific Power. “We highly value our partnership with the states of California, Oregon, the Yurok and Karuk Tribes, and other settlement signatories that have brought us to this landmark moment.”

Next Steps

Issuance of a Final Environmental Impact Statement by FERC staff paves the way for the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to issue a license surrender order later this year that will govern the removal of the dams by the Klamath River Renewal Corporation and the completion of related environmental restoration actions. Issuance of the Final Environmental Impact Statement also allows related dam removal permitting activities to be concluded so that dam removal can proceed should the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission issue a surrender order for the project.

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About PacifiCorp 

PacifiCorp is one of the lowest-cost electrical providers in the United States, serving 2 million customers. The company operates as Rocky Mountain Power in Idaho, Utah and Wyoming and as Pacific Power in California, Oregon and Washington. PacifiCorp provides safe and reliable service through a vast, integrated system of generation and transmission that connects communities as the largest regulated utility owner of wind power in the West. For more information, visit www.pacificorp.com.