Statement on BPA’s Day-Ahead Market Decision
The Columbia Snake River Campaign today issued the following statement in response to the Bonneville Power Administration’s (BPA) announcement that it will move forward with plans to join the Southwest Power Pool’s Markets+ day-ahead market:
“BPA’s decision to join an Arkansas-based day-ahead market is a step backward for the Northwest. The biggest losers in this decision are the wild salmon already teetering on the edge of extinction—and the Northwest ratepayers who will be forced to shoulder the costs of an increasingly outdated and fragile energy system.
Instead of aligning with a future-facing, regionally responsive energy market like CAISO’s Extended Day-Ahead Market (EDAM), BPA is choosing to deepen ties to a system run by an out-of-region entity with little accountability to Northwest states, Tribes, or consumers. Indeed, BPA’s decision disregards objections from two state governors, multiple Tribes, four Northwest senators, several state agencies, and hundreds of consumers throughout the region.
By prioritizing energy exports to states like Arizona and New Mexico—where demand is high and oversight is low—BPA is locking the federal hydro system into a model that benefits out-of-state utilities at the expense of Northwest residents. This short-sighted strategy could increase pressure on the Columbia and Snake Rivers, deepen conflicts over water and fish, and undercut regional efforts to transition to clean energy that works for both people and ecosystems.
BPA claims this is about better market design and efficiency. But the truth is: there’s nothing better about a grid that trades salmon for short-term power sales, and nothing efficient about reinforcing the status quo while the energy landscape is rapidly changing.
The Columbia Snake River Campaign urges BPA to reexamine this decision and listen to the growing number of voices—including Tribes, utilities, scientists, and consumers—calling for a future that puts sustainability, equity, and ecological recovery first.”
