Over the past 17 years, I’ve installed hundreds of solar electric systems for homes, businesses and farms, helping provide energy independence to people and reducing our carbon footprint. As the price of fossil-fuel generated power and hydropower increase, more people are taking advantage of increasingly affordable energy from the sun.

My customers invest in solar because it’s good for their pocketbooks and for our planet. And unlike the four lower Snake River dams, solar doesn’t kill salmon runs. I agree with NWEC Director Nancy Hirsh (Oct. 22 op-ed). We don’t have to choose between salmon and clean energy. We can remove these dams and easily meet our region’s energy needs.

Advancements in solar, wind, energy conservation and efficiency are the future for our region. Hydropower is important too, but the high-cost low-value lower Snake River dams are costing us far more than their power or navigation benefits are worth. The aging dams are bleeding hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars and decimating our wild salmon runs.

The growing renewable energy sector is prompting improvements in our power grid that will enable us to remove four negligible, deadbeat dams and keep the lights on in the Northwest.

Bruce Gage

Spokane