Portland, after losing $11 million generating hydropower, forges new dam deal that could lose millions more – By Shane Dixon Kavanaugh (The Oregonian/OregonLive) / July 15, 2022
During the past half decade, Portland has lost millions of dollars operating a pair of once-profitable hydropower dams it owns, despite assurances by project managers it would make money.
Nevertheless, the Portland City Council this week approved a deal needed to continue running what has recently been a cash-losing venture, more than doubling the annual contract of a Eugene utility that helps sell power from the two Bull Run watershed facilities.
David Peters, who oversees the hydroelectric project as a principal engineer for the Water Bureau, explained why he thinks Portland residents shouldn’t fret.
“We cannot predict the weather, which directly impacts how much power we can generate, but we feel good about the value that we are receiving for our power generation,” he said.
