Electric power generation from the Missouri River’s six upstream dams fell below average in 2021, forcing the federal agency that sells the power to buy electricity on the open market.
The $18 million in additional costs ultimately may be passed on to ratepayers in a half-dozen states. Energy production from the dams in the Dakotas, Montana and Nebraska was below average because of drought.
The Western Area Power Administration sells power to rural electric cooperatives and other customers in the Dakotas, Montana, Minnesota, Iowa and Nebraska. The agency says the added costs would likely be minimal for individual ratepayers.
