PacifiCorp Energy, a power company operating in northwest us, has criticised a recent government study that claimed it would be cheaper to remove barriers blocking the migration of endangered salmon than to keep them.
PacifiCorp owns four hydroelectric dams on the river Klamath. Conservationists say the dams are blocking migration of endangered salmon fishes and decommissioning them would open a stretch of about 500 km that have been blocked to salmon for around 50 years. Klamath is the third most productive river for salmons in the us. Its coho salmons are on the endangered species list, while the chinook salmon population is declining.
The California Energy Commission recently said decommissioning the dams and buying power would cost us$100 million less than operating them for another 50 years. PacifiCorp says the study is "riddled with errors".
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