News
120 Western Washington business and community leaders seek leadership of Senators Murray and Cantwell in resolving Columbia Basin salmon crisis
On Tuesday, 120 Western Washington business owners and community leaders wrote to U.S. Senators Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell urging their leadership in solving the Northwest salmon crisis. The open letter to the senators also appears as a full-page ad in today’s Puget Sound-based weekly, the Stranger.
These leaders want the senators to bring together all interests —farmers, fishermen, energy users, business owners and local communities — to craft a durable, science-based and economically viable salmon restoration plan. They acknowledge past tensions surrounding the salmon issue, but note the enormous economic opportunity if Washington can forge an effective long-term solution.
Efficiency accomplishments win Headwaters award for PSE's Cal Shirley
Cal Shirley, Vice President of Energy Efficiency Services for Washington state-based Puget Sound Energy, recently received the NW Energy Coalition’s 2009 Headwaters award honoring his clean and affordable energy leadership. With Shirley as head of Energy Efficiency Services, PSE has steadily ramped up its efficiency savings achievements and associated budgets. In 2002-2003, PSE spent about…
Wash. Governor delays new building code improvements
The Washington State Building Code Council has acceded to Gov. Chris Gregoire’s request to delay economically beneficial improvements to the state’s energy code.
The actions – Gregoire’s request and the Council’s June 11 acquiescence – send the utterly false message that better energy efficiency is bad for homeowners. In fact, the code improvements now put on hold will save homeowners far more money than the improvements will cost, no matter what the Building Industry Association of Washington says.
Salmon or political games? Obama administration makes its choice
A federal judge repeatedly warned the federal government that only big changes to proposals for hydro dams would guarantee approval. Instead, the Obama administration has presented a plan that looks very much like the Bush strategy.
Read the full article on Crosscut.com
NW Energy Coalition honors Rep. Christine Rolfes for energy efficiency leadership and advocacy
State Rep. Christine Rolfes (D-Bainbridge Island) was honored by the NW Energy Coalition on Tuesday with a resolution praising her leadership in passing 2009’s Efficiency First legislative package, SB 5854, which will dramatically improve energy efficiency in buildings throughout Washington state.
Montana hears Coalition’s efficiency message
The NW Energy Coalition Spring 2010 Conference in Missoula provided a forum for the message that energy efficiency is cheaper, faster to acquire and cleaner that any other resource that might meet new electricity demand in the coming decades. Fortunately, the Missoulian and other media outlets heard the message and delivered it to their readers/listeners/viewers…
Washington: State legislature doesn’t mess with I-937
The 2010 Washington state legislative session has finally ended. While results for environmental issues were mixed overall, defenders of the 2006 Clean Energy Initiative 937 were pleased that no changes were made to the law…
Montana: Coal bid, transmission and efficiency/renewables goals make news
Here’s some recent energy updates from Montana, submitted by NW Energy Coalition Montana caucus chair Chuck Magraw…
Oregon: Renewable energy standard and Business Energy Tax Credit under fire
NW Energy Coalition executive board member Jeff Bissonnette of the Citizens’ Utility Board link of Oregon (CUB) provided the following recap of the recently completed state legislative session…
British Columbia: Government decision to move ahead with big new dam generates considerable heat
On April 19, British Columbia’s government announced its decision to move ahead with the highly controversial Site C hydropower project on the Peace River in northeast B.C.
Environmentalists, clean-energy advocates, tribes and other affected communities question the need for the $6.6 billion, 900-megawatt plant and cite both its shaky economics and environmental impacts…