Equity & Affordability
Thank you for fighting the good fight
What an effort! Yesterday’s election culminated an immense effort by thousands of people throughout the Northwest to effectively address issues of clean energy, climate change, equity, and affordability. Those efforts met with success in Portland with passage of the Portland Clean Energy Initiative and they did not in Washington where Initiative 1631 was defeated. Win…
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I-1631: Hirsh, Guenther set record straight on misleading claims by McKenna Ads claiming I-1631 exempts Washington’s biggest polluter fail to note the facility is already slated for closure By Nancy Hirsh, Executive Director NW Energy Coalition & Bob Guenther, Centralia-based labor activist. This year, voters in Washington have been subject to the biggest onslaught of…
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Bruce Nilles to keynoteClean & Affordable Energy Conference Beyond Coal Campaign founder to discuss expanded areas of activism in new role at Rocky Mountain Institute SEATTLE, Washington — Bruce Nilles is relentless. Fifteen years ago he founded the Sierra Club’s highly successful Beyond Coal Campaign, which has helped retire a quarter of the nation’s coal fired…
Read MoreI-1631: The people did it before and we’ll do it again!
I-1631, the clean air and clean energy measure, is critical for addressing climate change. Yet, a lot of loud voices are claiming the proposed carbon fee on fossil fuel polluters won’t do have much effect and costs will be passed through to customers. But, if they believe that, then why are the polluters — big…
Read MoreHeat Wave: Renewables pass a test, but greater challenges await
As the nation and parts of the Northwest swelter, at least one silver lining is emerging. The rise of renewable energy resources and the corresponding decline of fossil fuel resources have not compromised electric system reliability at a time when demand for electricity is hitting record highs. In the Northwest, temperatures have consistently topped 90…
Read MoreNW Senators rise to save ENERGY STAR program
There aren’t many federal programs that are as unequivocally successful or as cost-effective as ENERGY STAR. The ENERGY STAR seal, which is awarded by the Environmental Protection Agency to energy efficient products and appliances, helps consumers and businesses save tens of billions of dollars annually on their electric bills. However, the Trump administration wants to…
Read MoreProposed Avista Acquisition Settlement Protects Consumers and Environment
The NW Energy Coalition, the Natural Resources Defense Council, and Renewable Northwest joined a proposed settlement today that, if approved by the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission, would provide Ontario-based Hydro One with the green light from Washington State to acquire Avista Utilities. The settlement contains important commitments in the areas of low-income weatherization, energy…
Read MoreNW Energy Coalition welcomes BPA 2018-23 Strategic Plan
Yesterday, the Bonneville Power Administration released its 2018-2023 Strategic Plan that lays out the agency’s goals as it works to adapt to an increasingly complex and competitive electricity market. The NW Energy Coalition congratulates BPA for establishing four important overarching goals in the new 5-year plan. They are: Strengthening financial health Modernizing system assets and…
Read MoreNWEC joins call for congress to fully fund LIHEAP
Today, the NW Energy Coalition joined dozens of organizations and companies nationwide in a letter sponsored by the National Energy and Utility Affordability Coaltion that asks congress to fully fund the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) for fiscal year 2019. Over the last eight years, the LIHEAP appropriation has declined by 35% and…
Read MoreWashington UTC issues historic order in PSE rate case
An important step toward a clean energy future in the Northwest OLYMPIA, Washington — Yesterday the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission approved a settlement and issued a final decision on contested issues in the Puget Sound Energy (PSE) rate case. The Commission decision allows PSE to recover costs for the eventual closure and clean-up of four…
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