Policy
Energy Advocates Retreat
In September, we held our first-ever Energy Advocates retreat in Portland, in partnership with GEI, Citizens Utility Board, Oregon Solar + Storage Industries Association, Multnomah County, Verde, Clackamas Community College, and Climate Solutions. The idea for the retreat followed the 2025 Oregon legislative session and the huge wave of implementation that’s now moving to the…
Op-ed: BPA needs to think about costs, customers
In Montana and across the Northwest, energy demand is climbing. Add to that increasingly severe weather events, and you have a recipe for high costs and insufficient energy and transmission during peak demand. To address this, our region needs more access to reliable, affordable and renewable energy for decades to come. One way to do…
The Value of Coalition
The NW Energy Coalition has just completed our Spring membership meetings and educational conference and I am inspired by the effective and collaborative work of Coalition members and allies in sharing best practices and helping communities and governments ensure that we have the most effective policies and programs to advance a clean, reliable and affordable…
NWEC Statement on BPA’s Day-Ahead Market Policy Final Decision
NWEC is disappointed that the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) is choosing to join Markets+, a project developed by the Arkansas based Southwest Power Pool (SPP) and with a more limited portfolio of clean energy resources. NWEC agrees with BPA that joining a day-ahead energy market is the correct strategy to achieve our shared goals…
Webinar: Wildfire and Utilities
This webinar covered the intersection between wildfire and utilities, policymakers, and communities. Increased fire risk is threatening communities as utilities work to mitigate risk and policymakers are deciding how to regulate them. We explored this intersection, and the role advocates can play in the development of utility regulations, legislation, and wildfire mitigation plans that will…
Feb. 2025 Newsletter – Save the date for our spring conference, updates from NW Energy Coalition
Spring 2025 Clean & Affordable Energy Conference: Missoula, May 7 Join the NW Energy Coalition this spring in Missoula for our Clean & Affordable Energy Conference! We’ll have three panel discussions throughout the day featuring dialogue from experts in Montana on moving a clean energy transition forward. Panelists will talk about how Tribal communities are…
Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission Issues Puget Sound Energy Risk-Sharing Order for Natural Gas Climate Commitment Act: Impact and Implications
By Will Gehrke, Senior Technical Analyst, NW Energy Coalition NWEC, Climate Solutions, and Washington Conservation Action, represented by Earthjustice, intervened in a UTC proceeding to propose a risk-sharing mechanism for Puget Sound Energy’s costs of complying with the Climate Commitment Act (CCA). The UTC issued a Final Order on Friday, February 21, 2025. Background: The Climate…
Pathways Initiative and EDAM Update: California Legislation Introduced
NW Energy Coalition2/21/2025Contact: Jill Wasberg, 206-790-8151, jill@nwenergy.orgBen Otto, 208-724-1585, ben@nwenergy.org Day-Ahead Energy Market related legislation was introduced in California on February 20, 2025. The California unions for utility and electrical workers, Natural Resources Defense Council, and Environmental Defense Fund are working with the legislative sponsors. Recall the core barrier to prior efforts to create a…
Press release: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission approves the design of Markets+; BPA should recognize that Extended Day Ahead Market is the best choice for the region
For Immediate Release Thursday, January 16, 2025 Seattle – On Thursday morning, January 16, 2025, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) approved the design of Markets+, one of two day-ahead markets being developed in the west. The FERC decision is just one procedural step as the Bonneville Power Administration and Northwest utilities continue to review the…
Regulatory tools to advance affordability in utility costs
By Mike Goetz With the rising tide of inflation, increases in the cost of commodity goods, and energy infrastructure costs going up, the Northwest has an energy affordability challenge. With nearly 44% of U.S. households defined as low-income according to U.S. Department of Energy statistics in 2023, many customers are forced to make difficult decisions…