Region 4: The Columbia Plateau

The active tectonics that resulted in the Columbia Plateau flood basalts and the growth of the Rocky Mountains to the east have created a region rich in hydroelectric and wind energy, as well as the potential for geothermal energy. More comprehensive development of geothermal energy may be an area of growth in the future. Fossil fuel development, however, has not been significant in the Columbia Plateau.

Fossil Fuels

The Columbia Plateau has seen very little fossil fuel development because it is covered by thick volcanic deposits that make exploration and recovery challenging. The volcanic rocks overlie Cenozoic lake deposits and older marine rocks that may contain oil and gas resources, but they have not been considered economically viable to develop.

Alternative Energy

With the Owyhee Mountain Range to the west and the Caribou Mountains and Forest bordering the east, the Snake River Valley and Bruneau Valley are host to many lakes and waterways. With its mouth at the Columbia River, the Snake River is over 1600 kilometers (1000 miles) long and is the largest tributary that empties into the Pacific Ocean. With all of this water, it is no surprise that hydropower is a primary source of energy in the region—58% of Idaho’s electricity comes from hydropower (see Figure 7.13). There are 15 dams along the Snake River; some provide irrigation for farming, but there are many that provide hydropower. There are also over 30 hydroelectric power stations on or near the Snake River in this region, three of the largest of which—Brownlee Dam (585 MW), Hells Canyon Dam (391 MW), and Oxbow Dam (190 MW)— are along the Idaho-Oregon border.

There are other renewable energy resources on the Columbia Plateau, including geothermal, biofuel, and wind energy. Although not yet a significant source of energy for the region, research and development into both geothermal and wind power is aimed at making both sources a lucrative option for the area.

Most of Idaho’s wind farms run in a southward arc along the highway route from Boise in the west to Idaho Falls in the east. The Goshen North Wind Farm near Idaho Falls, at an elevation of over 1400 meters (4600 feet), is the state’s largest wind farm. It has the capacity to produce about 125 MW. Wind accounts for about 16% of Idaho’s electricity generation (Figure 7.15).

Figure 7.15: Wind turbines dot the landscape at this wind farm in Power County, Idaho.

Geothermal energy potential is abundant on the Columbia Plateau in Idaho; however, immediately east, on Yellowstone Plateau near the western edge of Wyoming, geothermal heat is not developed for energy because of the area’s status as a National Park. Though geothermal accounts for only a small percentage of Idaho’s electricity generation relative to hydroelectric and wind power, the state ranks sixth nationally in the use of geothermal energy (Figure 7.16).

Figure 7.16: Geothermal energy resources iin the Northwest Central.