A District Court Judge in Oregon ordered some federal dams in the Columbia River Basin to operate at levels that prioritize the health of salmon species. This means less hydropower generation, particularly in the spring and fall during spawning seasons.
Mark Lambrecht, head of the Montana Electric Cooperative Association, says these changes will show up on member’s bills.
"The Bonneville Power Administration will have to go out onto the market to purchase additional generation," Lambrecht says.
The Bonneville Power Administration, or BPA, distributes power from these dams to western Montana cooperatives. Lambrecht says the costs of BPA purchasing the lost generation will have ripple effects. Nearly a quarter of Montana meters are tied to this federal agency.
A spokesperson for Flathead Electric Cooperative says it anticipates at least a 4 percent rate increase for their members.
Trevor Parke with Dillon-based Vigilante Electric says their rates are going up too. The court order is not the only reason why.
"We've had double-digit rate increases over the last few years to meet up with the cost of labor and materials," Parke says.
The energy landscape is strained across the entire Pacific Northwest. BPA projected tens of millions of dollars in revenue losses in 2025. It cited high prices, low streamflows and dry weather as the main drivers. Meanwhile, energy demand is projected to increase by 30% in the region over the next decade.
Parke says these factors make it hard to keep costs down.
"The customers were used to having the same rates for a long period of time. And then it's all just kind of hit us at once over the last three or four years."
