Newsletter
Northwest electricity consumers enjoying higher and higher energy savings
Northwest utilities and their customers continue to beat their regional energy efficiency targets and remain on-course to exceed the five-year savings goal established by the 6th Northwest Power and Conservation Plan. In 2013, the region achieved 268 average megawatts of energy efficiency. According to the region’s official power planning agency, the Northwest Power and Conservation Council, that’s enough negawatts (energy savings) to satisfy the electricity needs of more than 180,000 Northwest homes.
New federal equipment standards create big Northwest energy savings
In the past five years, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has cranked out federal appliance and equipment standards that by 2029 will produce almost 800 average megawatts of Northwest energy savings that will greatly help the region achieve the savings goals of current regional power plan, according to preliminary analyses by the Bonneville Power Administration and Northwest Power and Conservation Council. These standards have tremendous success in creating significant energy savings at the lowest possible costs.
Public input will be crucial in shaping next regional power and conservation plan
Work on the next regional power plan is shifting into high gear. The Seventh Northwest Power and Conservation Plan, like its six predecessors, will guide Bonneville Power Administration and public utility resource choices and set the regional benchmark for meeting predicted electricity needs over the next 20 years. Public comments on both are due Oct. 31.
Washington utilities report they're exceeding their I-937 energy efficiency targets — again
Initiative 937 keeps paying off with record energy savings for customers of Washington state’s largest utilities. The 17 electric utilities covered by Washington’s Clean Energy Initiative have reported they’ve exceeded their Initiative 937 energy efficiency targets for 2012-13, collectively shattering their record savings total from the previous 2-year period (“biennium”).
NEEA board adopts new 5-year strategic plan with lean budget, leaving long-term energy savings at risk
Despite hundreds of individual comments and letters, the Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance board has decided to stick with a budget almost 30% percent below the previous 5-year budget. The NW Energy Coalition and other clean energy advocates will work to ensure that NEEA maintains its effectiveness and helps the region achieve all the cost-effective energy efficiency we can get to reduce climate pollution and consumers’ bills. This is not the time to retreat on energy efficiency, our cheapest, cleanest and quickest new energy resource.
The Energy Activist Update, Feb. 2014: Defending and advancing clean energy in Northwest state legislatures
NW Energy Coalition staff, members and allies are working to protect our clean energy future in legislative sessions in three of our four Northwest states. The February Energy Activist Update highlights legislative efforts in Idaho, Oregon and Washington. The update also includes information on the upcoming NW Clean & Affordable Energy Conference in Helena.
Idaho energy updates from Coalition member Snake River Alliance
Idaho Power received a surprise earlier this month when its majority partner in its Nevada coal plants announced plans to get out of the coal generation business, customers just received the bad news from Idaho Power that their rates will rise this summer due in part to poor river flows and power generation and more news inside…
The Energy Activist – Spring 2012
The founders of the NW Energy Coalition recognized a painful truth: that the bountiful cheap electricity produced by the Northwest’s system of federally financed hydropower dams came at the cost of the incredible wild salmon runs that once defined our watershed and supported myriad cultures and communities. So they made sure the 1980 Northwest Power and Conservation Act required equitable use of Columbia Basin waters for power and fish.
Since then, this Coalition and our partners have had to fight tooth and nail to realize even minimal progress on that mandate. To this day, the federal agencies that run the dams and market their power have failed to offer any legally valid or scientifically defensible plan for recovering the iconic and economically crucial salmon stocks.
The Spring 2012 edition of The Energy Activist looks at the exciting potential to escape that quicksand…
From the Outreach Director: Enjoy clean air and clean energy discussion this May in Kalispell
Recently I had occasion to spout off on the fallacy of the conventional energy wisdom from 30 plus years ago … the very conventional wisdom that the Coalition was born to challenge…
From the Executive Director: Whatever they’re called, solutions tables work
Recently I had occasion to spout off on the fallacy of the conventional energy wisdom from 30 plus years ago … the very conventional wisdom that the Coalition was born to challenge…