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Hastings, DeFazio to Co-Chair Bipartisan Congressional Northwest Energy Caucus Neal Kriby and Jen Gilbreath Press Release, March 19, 2013

Representatives Doc Hastings and Peter DeFazio, co-chairs of the Congressional Northwest Energy Caucus, announced today the reorganization of the caucus. The bipartisan Caucus aims to raise awareness and promote cooperation about issues that impact the continued availability of low-cost power in the Pacific Northwest region.

"Our region has a strong tradition of working in a bipartisan way to promote and protect our renewable, cost-effective hydropower system," said Rep. Doc Hastings (R-WA). "From policies ranging from protecting the Northwest's important source of clean, renewable hydropower, to the future of the Columbia River Treaty, to issues relating to the integration of wind energy into BPA's transmission system, I am pleased that resuming the Northwest Energy Caucus will give us the opportunity to continue working together to promote a strong future for our regional power system."

"The Northwest federal hydropower system is a unique resource that has provided clean, reliable, cheap power and served as the economic backbone of the region for decades. The Northwest Delegation has always worked well on a bipartisan basis to enhance and protect this resource. But given new, complex challenges to include the Columbia Treaty, the refinement of the salmon recovery plan, and integrating renewable power into the grid, this caucus will be crucial to maintaining the diverse values the hydropower system provides," said Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-OR).

"This is a key way for Northwest Members of Congress to engage on energy policy," said Scott Corwin, Executive Director of the Public Power Council. "On issues that tend to be regional in nature, rather than partisan, the Caucus has proved in the past to be of great value for coordination on these very important matters for electricity consumers in the Northwest states."

Current Membership in the Northwest Energy Caucus for the 113th Congress:

Doc Hastings, WA-04
Peter DeFazio, OR-04
Cathy McMorris Rodgers, WA-05
Kurt Schrader, OR-05
Greg Walden, OR-02
Mike Simpson, ID-02
Earl Blumenauer, OR-03
Dave Reichert, WA-08
Rick Larsen, WA-02
Suzanne Bonamici, OR-01
Jaime Herrera Beutler, WA-03
Steve Daines, MT-At Large