More clean energy solutions, less reliance on gas needed to meet peak energy needs When discussing electric system affordability and reliability, natural gas is often portrayed as a guarantor of both. But, since the beginning of February, when Northwest temperatures dropped to near record lows, wholesale natural gas prices skyrocketed, causing serious disruption for gas-fired […]
Within hours of Trump administration appointee Daniel Simmons taking over the the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, the Department of Energy renewed efforts to block or roll back energy efficiency standards that save consumers hundreds of millions of dollars annually. It’s part of an ongoing campaign that began in 2018 when the administration […]
We may have, hiding in our basements and garages , a clean energy resource that has the power to erase the need for new gas-fired power plants in the Northwest. That’s one implication of a new report on grid-integrated water heaters (GIWH) from the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) and its partners, the Northwest Energy Efficiency […]
On November 15, the NW Energy Coalition hosted its fall Clean & Affordable Energy Conference. The conference attracted over 180 attendees who participated in panel discussions and presentations on utility decarbonization, the role new storage technologies will play in transitioning the Northwest electric system, the health, comfort, and productivity benefits that energy efficient buildings provide […]
As Washington and other states in the Northwest consider how best to go about making our electric system as clean and affordable as possible, it’s good to remember that in doing so, we will also be contributing to economic growth and jobs. In Washington alone, more than 80,000 people have jobs in energy efficiency and […]
FACT VS. INFERENCE: THE TRUTH ABOUT THE ECONOMIC IMPACT OF WASHINGTON’S CLEAN ELECTRICITY STANDARD An analysis released in 2013 by the Washington Policy Center (WPC) and the Beacon Hill Institute (BHI), claimed that by the year 2020, Initiative 937, the Energy Independence Act, passed by voters in 2006, would cost Washington electricity customers more than […]
Last week, part 1 of this post focused on the Northwest’s impending shortfall in meeting 7th Power Plan goals for energy efficiency as well as plans by Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) to cut funding for energy efficiency efforts by 10% in 2020 and 2021. That news comes against the backdrop of efforts by the Trump […]
This week, the Northwest Power and Conservation Council staff updated Council members on regional energy efficiency savings and savings projections relative to the goals contained in the 7th Power Plan. The good news is that the region beat the 2-year milestone in the plan. The bad news is that the region is on a path […]
HB 2402, the Washington Clean Utility Act, will ensure that progress on greenhouse gas reduction and growth in Washington’s clean energy economy don’t come to an end when existing renewable portfolio and energy efficiency standards top out in the year 2020. Sponsored by Delegates Gael Tarleton, Vandana Slatter, Nicole Macri, Gerry Pollet, and Beth Doglio, HB […]
Questions remain about how best to achieve it A new study conducted by the consulting firm, Energy + Environmental Economics (E3) and sponsored by the Public Generating Pool (PGP), Benton Public Utility District, and Energy Northwest, shows that the Northwest can transition to an energy efficient, low-carbon electric system at relatively little cost. This study, […]
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