Policy
Clean up the grid and electrify everything
Amid uncertainty about what recent election results will mean for environmental policy and the fate of the planet, a remarkable clarity pervaded the NW Energy Coalition Clean & Affordable Energy conference this past Thursday in Portland. David Roberts, Vox energy and climate columnist and the conference’s keynote speaker, opened the day by reminding an audience of more than two-hundred that, regardless of coming battles and possible changes in energy and environmental policy both in Washington DC and in the Northwest, there remains a simple imperative. If we are to avoid doing catastrophic damage to the planet and to ourselves, “we must clean up the grid and electrify everything.”
Read MorePress Release: What I-732’s defeat means
The defeat of I-732, the carbon tax, should not cause anyone to question the depth and breadth of support for action to combat climate change among Washington voters. As has been widely noted, the solution embodied by I-732 divided a community that is otherwise united in its commitment to developing policies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Read MoreNWEC is currently hiring!
We are excited to announce that we will be hiring for a Energy Efficiency Policy Associate. This position will analyze, develop and advance energy efficiency, demand response and low-‐income energy policy and program implementation, and address other utility regulatory issues affecting clean energy. The position will remain open until filled. Start date is as soon as possible. The NW Energy Coalition is an equal opportunity employer.
Read MoreTransportation Electrification in the Northwest
Early in the 20th century, petroleum became the dominant fuel for cars, buses, trucks, vans, marine vessels and railroads. While natural gas plays a role in the commercial fleets, electricity and other renewable fuels are poised for expansion of use in transportation, thereby linking more closely the transportation and utility sectors. It’s a transition from which the Northwest, which is blessed with low-emission electricity, is uniquely positioned to benefit.
Read MoreI-937: The only thing we had to fear was fear itself
This year, as we celebrate the 10-year anniversary of Initiative 937, Washington has a vibrant economy, one of America’s cleanest electric grids, and electric rates that are nearly the lowest in the nation. That would have been hard to imagine if you were listening to the critics of I-937 as it came to a vote in the fall of 2006.
Read More“Charge Without a Cause” : The new fee electric utilities want to impose on residential customers
Residential demand charges are popping up with increasing frequency in utility rate design proposals. They’ve even become the topic of an annual summit for utility executives and regulators. But, for ratepayers, demand charges offer few if any offsetting benefits and, worse, they don’t solve the problem they’re supposed to address.
Read MorePRESS RELEASE: Utility Commission Makes Energy Efficiency Work For Utility and Customers
The Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission ruled Thursday that Pacific Power can recover costs while encouraging customers to save energy even if those efforts result in the sale of less electricity. The ruling, which came as part of a rate case, approved a proposed “decoupling” provision that severs the link between customer energy consumption and utility company sales and replaces it with a model in which Pacific Power will be able to recover fixed costs based on the number of customers served.
Read MoreThe New NW Energy Coalition 5-Year Strategic Plan
The causes for which the NW Energy Coalition advocated at the time of its founding in 1981 – energy efficiency, the adoption of new renewable energy resources, wildlife and fish protection and equity for low-income people – are now so widely embraced, it’s hard to imagine they were ever controversial. But, widespread acceptance of those values is triggering diverse and often conflicting visions for how they should be realized.
Read MoreMember Spotlight: Idaho Rivers United
Idaho Rivers United, a Coalition member for the past 14 years, advocates for protecting and restoring Idaho rivers. IRU defends at-risk fish populations, supports minimum stream flows that reduce dams’ harm to Idaho’s rivers. IRU argues that the four lower Snake River dams in Washington state are more of a threat to Idaho wild salmon survival than habitat destruction or overfishing.
Read MoreNWEC submits comment on Clean Air Rule 2nd CR 102 in Washington state
The NW Energy Coalition has submitted technical comments and suggestions to the draft Clean Air Rule, which aims to lower Washington’s carbon emissions via a “baseline and credit” mechanism that requires polluters to either reduce carbon emissions directly each year or acquire emissions reduction units (ERUs) through one of several pathways.
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