Letter to Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada - Modernization of Columbia River Treaty as Part of Expanded Clean Energy Cooperation

Letter

Dear Prime Minister Trudeau,

The United States and Canada have a great opportunity to join forces on a U.S.-Canada Clean Energy Initiative. As two of the world's largest trading partners, our countries share mutual goals to further clean energy solutions and affect climate change. Modernization of the Columbia River Treaty could be an important step in this partnership. Additionally, it would allow us to work jointly on critical energy solutions such as smart grid with intermittent power, grid-scale storage and clean infrastructure solutions. Given the United States and Canada are among the largest hydroelectric energy producers in the world, there is significant, untapped potential to generate new jobs and drive economic growth on both sides of the border.

I urge you to prioritize modernization of the Columbia River Treaty and appoint a Canadian negotiating team for the benefit of both of our countries.

When the treaty went into effect over 50 years ago, the world did not yet understand the serious challenges that would be presented by climate change. Given the growing impact to our climate, natural environment and economy, I believe we must find a mutually beneficial path forward to modernize the treaty in a way that balances flood control, ecosystem-based function, and hydropower generation.

A modernized treaty could serve as a template for adaptation strategies to climate challenges impact on water resources as well as demonstrate how our two countries, along with Native American Tribes and First Nations, can harmonize policies to strengthen our stewardship of a critical resource. At the same time, there are opportunities to use the storage capability of the Columbia River Basin hydropower projects to facilitate the development of new intermittent renewable energy projects to meet the region's growing demand for emissions-free energy.

Our countries and in particular, Washington state and British Columbia, which already partner on many cross border clean energy projects such as clean transportation and infrastructure solutions, depend on each other for economic and global success. Let's grow our economies and meet the challenges of the 21st Century together.

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