Posts by Alicia Healey
Crosscut artice: Washington businesses unite on climate action
More than 100 businesses – from REI and Virginia Mason to Taylor Shellfish and Microsoft – launched a declaration calling for “climate action.” The businesses recently endorsed the Washington Business Climate Declaration, a statement by businesses and individuals on the need for action against global warming, saying, that the Northwest firms “support using energy efficiently, investing in cleaner fuels, advancing renewable energy, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.”
Read MoreIn victory for clean energy development, court upholds transmission planning order
In a major win for clean energy development, a U.S. Court of Appeals panel this summer unanimously upheld a Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) directive aimed at modernizing transmission planning around the country. The decision gives strong support to the contention that utility-by-utility transmission planning is not enough, because energy resources and transmission lines are already widely shared across the power grid. Regional planning is needed to capture important benefits for clean energy, the environment and consumers.
Read MoreNWEC comments on the NPCC High Level Indicators Issue Paper
Click here to read NWEC’s comments on the NPCC High Level Indicator issue paper.
Read MoreNWEC comments on the NPCC Environmental Costs and Benefits Issue Paper
Click here to read NWEC’s comments on the NPCC Environmental Costs and Benefits Issues Paper.
Read MoreGov. Inslee proclaims October 30 Weatherization Day in Washington State
Washington’s Weatherization Assistance Program will help many households make it through the cold weather season – and the years ahead – by adding insulation, sealing cracks, and making other improvements that reduce heat loss and save money on energy bills. The program is funded through a partnership of the U.S. Department of Energy, the Bonneville Power Administration, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Washington State, and private and public utilities.
Read MoreNW Energy Coalition conference to feature consumer protection panel
Please join us for the NW Clean & Affordable Energy Conference Nov. 7-8 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Portland, Ore. Top energy experts from across the Northwest will address some of the region’s most pressing energy issues. The consumer protection at the grid edge panel will look at safeguarding home and business owners’ off-grid energy investments and preventing potential rate and bill increases for customers – especially low-income families – who remain on the grid.
Read MoreGrist article: How one building is changing the world
The Bullitt Center in Seattle was designed to be the greenest commercial building in the world in 2012. Due to strict guidelines prohibiting the use of toxic chemicals in its construction, safer building materials were innovated to meet the Bullitt Center’s needs. The company Building Envelope Innovation replaced toxic phthalates in its sealants and coatings with non-toxic ingredients. The change will benefit the company’s employees who regularly handle the products.
Read MoreNWEC policy director Nancy Hirsh addresses B.C. – U.S. issues
NW Energy Coalition policy director and executive director-designee Nancy Hirsh was the invited speaker at the Pacific Energy Innovation Association breakfast meeting in Vancouver, B.C., on Oct. 1. The object was sharing perspectives on energy issues of cross-border importance. Thus, her address covered such topics as EPA’s proposed Clean Power Rule, the Columbia River Treaty, the Northwest Power and Conservation Council’s upcoming 7th regional plan, and the Pacific Coast Collaborative’s energy efficiency platform.
Read MoreChristian Science Monitor article: Blue-light special: three scientists share Nobel for physics for work on LEDs
Three researchers, one from the United States and two from Japan, have been awarded the 2014 Nobel Prize in Physics for their roles in developing light-emitting diodes that shine blue – for decades, a Holy Grail in the field of photonics. The trio’s collective breakthroughs have spawned light bulbs that last for a decade and consume less than 20 percent of the power incandescent bulbs use to provide the same amount of light.
Read MoreNuclear in the age of climate change brown bag discussion
On October 6, 2014 the NW Energy Coalition hosted a brown bag lunch featuring nuclear power expert Ed Lyman from the Union of Concerned Scientists. Dr. Lyman is the co-author of the recent book, Fukushima: The Story of a Nuclear Disaster (New Press). His work has focused on critical nuclear issues such as civilian and…
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