Washington, D.C.– Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (WA-05) and Rep. Peter DeFazio (OR-04) announced today that they will serve as co-chairs of the newly reorganized Northwest Energy Caucus. This bipartisan group is dedicated to the responsible management of Pacific Northwest energy resources, including the continued availability of low-cost power in the region.

“We owe it to the Pacific Northwest and to the rest of the country to expand an energy source that will not only lower energy costs, but create thousands of jobs – and that’s hydropower,” McMorris Rodgers said. “Through the Northwest Energy Caucus, we will continue to work across the aisle to support our region’s top priorities – including the Columbia River Treaty. Energy bills are jobs bills, and our Caucus will work to promote hydropower, our nation’s largest, cleanest, most affordable, reliable, and renewable energy source.”

“The Pacific Northwest is home to a unique resource that has provided clean, reliable, cheap power and has served as the economic backbone of the region for decades,” DeFazio said. “With that in mind, we all have a stake in managing the Northwest federal hydropower system wisely. As a united front, we will continue working on a bipartisan basis to enhance and protect this resource, especially as we navigate new and complex challenges such as the Columbia River Treaty, the refinement of the salmon recovery plan and the integration of renewable power into the grid.”

Current Membership in the Northwest Energy Caucus for the 114^th Congress:

Washington:

Cathy McMorris Rodgers WA-05 (Co-chair)

Suzan DelBene, WA-01

Jaime Herrera Beutler, WA-03

Dan Newhouse, WA-04

Derek Kilmer, WA-06

Jim McDermott, WA-07

Dave Reichert, WA-08

Denny Heck, WA-10

Oregon:

Peter DeFazio, OR-04 (Co-Chair)

Greg Walden, OR-02

Earl Blumenauer, OR-03

Kurt Schrader, OR-05

Idaho:

Mike Simpson, ID-02

Montana:

Ryan Zinke, MT-At Large