NW Energy Coalition and other Clean Energy Scenarios Stakeholders submit comments on PacificCorp's Integrated Resource Plan

The “Clean Energy Scenarios Stakeholders” (NW Energy Coalition, HEAL Utah, Idaho Conservation League, Mormon Environmental Stewardship Alliance, Powder River Basin Resource Council, Renewable Northwest and Sierra Club) have submitted comments for the PacificCorp’s 2015 IRP modeling process concerning proposed carbon price and solar PV scenarios. Click here to read the comments.

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Coalition analyzes spill test effects on electricity consumers’ bills

The NW Energy Coalition has released a pair of fact sheets addressing regional salmon scientists’ proposed experiment to measure survival gains from spilling more water over federal hydropower dams to aid the ocean-bound migration of Columbia Basin endangered wild salmon than is now required by the federal court. Court-ordered spill has increased returns of adult fish, and many regional scientists have concluded that additional spill could raise those returns even further – potentially to recovery levels for some of the endangered stocks…

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NWEC comments from recent Clean Air Act public session

NW Energy Coalition policy director Nancy Hirsh presented the following comments at a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency public listening session Nov. 7 in Seattle. The session concerned EPA’s plan to set CO2 standards for existing power plants under Section 111d of the Clean Air Act…

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Portland Tribune: Oregon hits 2010 emissions target

Three years after the fact, Oregon can now boast that the state reached its first official milestone for stemming climate change — halting the growth of greenhouse gas emissions by 2010 and starting to reduce those emissions.

But the state is nowhere near where it needs to be to hit its second milestone — ratcheting back greenhouse gas emissions to 10 percent below 1990 baseline levels by 2020…

Read the full article at The Portland Tribune.

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Executive Director Sara Patton on BPA's next 75 years

For 75 years, the Bonneville Power Administration has been intrinsic to the growth and prosperity of the Northwest. BPA has been a boon to the Northwest’s economy and a clean energy leader. To meet the challenges – many unforeseeable — of the next 75 years, BPA must deepen its commitment to the long-term health of the region while becoming more open to all of its stakeholders. And it must be agile enough to respond to big changes…

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Clean energy advocates provide action plan for climate change solutions

Clean energy advocates and leaders from across the West are urging policymakers to enact policies and support investments in renewable energy and efficiency that would modernize our electric system while slashing greenhouse gas emissions. With President Obama calling for action to address climate disruption in his State of the Union address, and thousands marching on Washington last weekend, a series of white papers and a video are being released to help illustrate how adopting a Clean Energy Vision rather than business as usual will move the West forward…

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News Tribune: State Senate moving backward on 3 fronts, says Inslee

Wash. Gov. Jay Inslee waded into the legislative fray Wednesday with his most pointed comments so far in state lawmakers’ 25-day-old session, taking aim squarely at ideas put forward by the Republican-dominated Senate majority.

“I’m very concerned that the Senate already has gone backwards on two areas,” the Democratic governor said, citing workers’ compensation and clean energy…

Read more online at The News Tribune

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Celebrating Washington's Clean Energy Success

Voters passed Initiative 937 in 2006 to build on Washington’s clean energy heritage. At the time, new renewable energy made up less than 1% of the region’s electricity mix, even though new renewables would reduce risks and boost our economy. Six years after its passage, I-937 is doing exactly what Washington voters wanted. Official utility…

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PSE, Mason, Lewis and Grays Harbor reach clean energy benchmarks

Regional electricity providers from Puget Sound Energy to Grays Harbor County Public Utility District recorded impressive accomplishments over the first reporting period for Washington’s clean energy law, Initiative 937. “These utilities should be commended for their energy efficiency achievements, which will save money for their customers,” said Nancy Hirsh, policy director for the Coalition.

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