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Coalition recommends clean energy stimulus spending
To help Americans and businesses cope with the economic impacts of the coronavirus crisis, the federal government is considering targeted investments into the US economy. In the immediate future, more funds need to be invested in bill assistance through the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) to help utility customers with growing unpaid balances. In…
May 2020 Northwest Energy Update
May 2020 Northwest Energy Update NW Utilities’ COVID-19 Response The Coalition’s effort to persuade utilities to suspend service shut-offs during the coronavirus crisis has been quite successful, especially among the region’s largest utilities many of which are also increasing support for bill assistance and reconnecting those whose service may have been shut off before the…
Advancing energy efficiency during the COVID-19 crisis
A new analysis finds that, in March, the economic crisis associated with the coronavirus pandemic resulted in over 106,000 workers who are employed by clean energy businesses such as solar installers, wind developers, and energy efficiency-related businesses, losing their jobs. Layoffs continued in April and could eventually number more than 500,000, or about 15% of the nation’s 3.4 million clean energy workers. The energy…
Avista rate case offers wins for customers, climate, Colstrip
Last week the Washington Utilities & Transportation Commission (UTC) approved a partial multiparty settlement in the Avista rate case. It also decided issues outside of the settlement, including fast-tracking refunds to customers to minimize rate increases for natural gas customers and to eliminate them for electric customers in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis. Avista’s…
Appeal to Oregon Gov. Brown to assure electricity service
The Oregon Community Action Partnership and the Oregon Citizen’s Utility Board joined the NW Energy Coalition in a letter to Governor Kate Brown asking her to order reconnection of utility customers who may have been disconnected, a moratorium on new disconnections, and , and revised credit and collection procedures to insure that electricity remains affordable…