News
Federal Judge Rules for Columbia and Snake River Salmon
U.S. District Court Judge James Redden ruled today that the NOAA Fisheries Service again failed to produce a legal and scientific plan to protect imperiled Columbia-Snake River salmon from harm caused by the operation of federal dams on the Columbia and Snake rivers. Today’s court action – which has been ongoing for almost a decade – is a landmark decision for fishing and conservation groups, the state of Oregon and the Nez Perce and Spokane tribes, all of which have opposed the federal biological opinion, or BiOp, in court.
Industrial efficiency program nets national honor for NEEA
The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) has named The Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance (NEEA) as one of its 2011 “Champions of Energy Efficiency in Industry.”
According to ACEEE’s news release, the honor recognizes NEEA’s efforts in designing innovative industrial energy efficiency programs, and for collaborating with Northwest industrial customers in transforming the market for industrial energy efficiency.
Executive Board Caucus Report Highlights — July 21, 2011
Each month, we post the updates presented to our Executive Board from the state and provincial caucus reports.
In this edition: BC carbon tax popular, working, Avista request alarms clean energy supporters in ID, More condemnations filed against landowners on MATL route in MT, OR’s Boardman coal-plant pollution lawsuit settled and Legislative committee takes up I-937 in WA.
Salmon Group Wades Into Pacific Northwest Curtailment Battle
A group of salmon advocates is siding with wind developers in their battle against system operator Bonneville Power Administration (BPA).
High seasonal river flows resulting from runoff from large snowpacks caused an overabundance of hydropower and left no room on the grid to accommodate wind power. This led the BPA to curtail wind production this spring, which angered wind developers and prompted them to file a complaint with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) in June.
One step closer to a coal-free Oregon
Another step toward finalizing the Boardman, Ore., plant’s transition off of coal was taken early this week. The Sierra Club and its co-plaintiffs (NW Energy Coalition was not a plaintiff) settled their Clean Air Act suit with plant owner Portland General Electric.
Northwest Power and Conservation Council honored for best-ever regional plan
In recognition of the most far-sighted, clean energy-based power plan in regional history, the NW Energy Coalition last week presented its highest award to the Northwest Power and Conservation Council.
This year’s award goes to the Council members, staff and advisory committee members who produced the Sixth Northwest Power and Conservation Plan in early 2010. The plan projects the next 20 years of regionwide electricity needs and prescribes the means of meeting them. The Sixth Plan tells Northwest utilities they can and should meet 85% of new needs with bill-reducing energy efficiency and most of the rest with new, clean renewable energy.
Update: US House of Representatives wastes time and energy
After the BULB bill suffered a defeat in the House on Tuesday because proponents could not muster the needed 2/3 majority, the sponsors tried a different tact. Today the House approved an amendment to the Department of Energy’s spending bill, a vote that required only a simple majority vote.
House Refuses to Pull Plug on Energy-Efficient Lighting
In a show of support for energy efficiency, the U.S. House of Representatives voted against a bill that would have turned back time on the way Americans light their homes.
Congress voted down the politically named “Better Use of Light Bulbs” (BULB) Act, which was sponsored by Rep. Joe Barton (R-Texas), on a 233-193 vote, missing by 40 votes the two-thirds majority needed for passage.
New York Times: Atop TV sets, a power drain that runs nonstop
According to a recent New York Times article, some typical home entertainment configurations are eating more power than a new refrigerator and even some central air-conditioning systems. You can read the full article online at The New York Times.
Coalition member NRDC also released a study entertainment center "energy vampires" last month which you can read here.
It's still the economy, stupid
Newsweek has an article from former President Bill Clinton on how to put many of the fourteen million unemployed Americans back to work. The 42nd president has more than a dozen ideas on how to attack the jobs crisis and energy efficiency and renewables play a big part. Read it online here.