Ready for What Comes Next

Last week’s midterm election results give us reason to feel hopeful, invigorated, and ready for what comes next. Across the country, voters made clear that affordable energy, healthy communities, and a cleaner future matter. After a stretch when progress has too often felt uncertain, we see new openings to advance the clean energy transition.

For NW Energy Coalition and our members, this is a moment to elevate our game. The challenges ahead remain formidable, but so do the opportunities to build a more affordable, equitable, and resilient energy future for the Northwest.

The months ahead will be consequential. We will press for affordability and faster clean energy investment in utility rate cases, hold data centers accountable so their growing energy demand doesn’t raise costs for households and small businesses, and challenge proposals that prolong our reliance on fossil fuels. We will advocate for smart energy policy in all four Northwest state legislatures, including wildfire mitigation strategies that protect communities and keep costs fair for customers.

We will also continue to help shape the region’s Ninth Power Plan, push for smart transmission planning that connects the Northwest to affordable clean energy, defend Montana’s constitutional protections for a clean and healthful environment, and make sure utility resource planning reflects both the urgency of climate change and the needs of the communities we serve.

Turning this momentum into lasting progress will take persistence, collaboration, and the collective expertise of our coalition. We are deeply grateful to our members and partners for their commitment. This work has never been easy, but this coalition has shown time and again that what seems impossible becomes possible when we work together.

That is the power of coalition, and it is what gives us hope.