Western grid links Montana power production to distant coastal demand

Evidence

The national power grid looks like a big veho spider web, and it links the Northern Cheyenne to the rest of the country through highvoltage transmission lines. The western portion of the National Electric Reliability Council’s electric grid system includes Montana and hooks it up to Washington State and the rest of the West, in a rather uneven interdependence in which Montana produces power and Portland receives it. That’s perhaps one of the reasons why Native Action and the Northern Cheyenne find it frustrating that many presumed allies like environmentalists and foundations are so sporadic and fickle with their support. Everyone seems to benefit from the Northern Cheyenne, but few want to change their relationship with them. “Americans would rather fight for the rainforest than deal with their own backyards,” Gail says. — Winona LaDuke, All Our Relations, 464

Categorization

• XREF: The externalization of energy costs onto reservations while coastal consumers benefit is a core eco-justice causal chain shared across the polyad’s courses.