Presenter: Ashia Wilson – Environmental Studies
Faculty Mentor(s): Alai Reyes
Session: (Virtual) Poster Presentation
The Klamath Hydroelectric Project (FERC No.2082) does not track or manage their methane production and emissions related to their hydropower projects . Methane is a potent greenhouse gas resulting from the decomposition of organic material in environments with no oxygen; it has 80x the warming power compared to carbon dioxide during the first twenty years of being emitted into the atmosphere (contributes to climate change). PacifiCorp, owners, and operators of the Klamath Hydroelectric Project control 169-megawatt project located in a predominantly rural area in Southern Oregon. The project includes; Link River Dam, Keno Dam, J.C. Boyle Dam, Copco No. 1 Dam, Copco No. 2 Dam, and Iron Gate Dam. PacifiCorp states, “The project generates approximately 716 gigawatt- hours of emissions-free electricity on an annual basis – enough power to supply the energy needs of approximately 70,000 households.”
Dam construction has significantly altered water, nutrient, and ecosystem dynamics and fluxes in river networks and is linked to the amplification of methane emissions in deep-water hydropower reservoirs . From the very beginning of these projects, the emission of methane is present . The United Nations, many individual countries, and western states classify hydropower projects as “clean energy.” Under the United Nations’ Clean Development Mechanism, dams are one of the most common projects funded with carbon offset funds.