Idaho
Weigh in on the 7th Power Plan
The Northwest Power and Conservation Council, the region’s official power planning agency, has just released the draft of its seventh regional power plan. The public now has 60 days to provide written reactions and opportunities to attend and testify at public hearings in all four Northwest states.
Read MoreCoalition analysis: 7th Power Plan model minimizes looming coal plant costs, ignores out-of-region generators
The Northwest Power and Conservation Council’s 7th Plan will serve as a guide for choosing the best resources to meet electric needs over the next 20 years. A NW Energy Coalition issue paper, The True Cost of Coal: Fully accounting for coal-fired electricity use in the 7th Northwest Power and Conservation Plan, bares two shortcomings in the Council’s resource modeling that makes these polluting coal plants look cheaper than they are as a resource to meet the region’s needs.
Read MoreCoalition, allies urge Council to push low-income energy efficiency in the 7th Plan
The NW Energy Coalition and several member organizations are urging a strengthened commitment to economic equity in the 7th Power Plan. In a July 8 letter, the groups note Bonneville Power Administration’s ongoing shortfall in extending the benefits of energy efficiency measures to low- and moderate-income families. All energy customers pay for utilities’ energy efficiency programs in their bills, but those on limited incomes often cannot take advantage of the product and services incentives those programs provide.
Read MoreNW Council blog post – Northwest energy future: Efficient, low-cost, low carbon
The Northwest Power and Conservation Council’s recent blog post outlines the preliminary results of its 20-year scenario analysis modeling. The results indicate that investments in 3,800-4,500 aMW of energy efficiency are cost-effective over the next 20 years and will help the region meet new load growth; demand response will help meet winter peaking capacity requirements; and some new power generation may be needed to replace retiring coal plants.
Read MoreIdaho Power honors Nancy Hirsh
NW Energy Coalition executive director Nancy Hirsh was honored for her clean energy advocacy during the Coalition’s recent Clean and Affordable Energy Conference in Boise. Idaho Power customer relations and energy efficiency manager Theresa Drake thanked Hirsh for her 13 years of service on the utility’s Energy Efficiency Advisory Group and presented her with an etched glass award.
Read MoreEnergy experts flock to Boise for Coalition's spring conference
The NW Energy Coalition’s spring 2015 Clean and Affordable Energy Conference drew an impressive array of Northwest business, utility, regulatory, science and conservation experts and leaders to Boise, Idaho, on May 29-30. On Friday, more than 100 came to hear and participate in lively discussions of critical Northwest energy challenges. Aimée Christensen, who guided Google’s first climate and energy initiatives, started things off with a keynote address linking local and global climate action. Subsequent speakers referred to her remarks throughout the day.
Read MoreSpring conference to feature panel on the needs and costs for new transmission
Please join us for the NW Clean & Affordable Energy Conference, May 29-30 in Boise. A panel of experts will address the needs and costs of the Boardman to Hemingway and Gateway West transmission lines. These high-voltage transmission lines currently slated for construction in Idaho aim to improve reliability, handle a higher load and incorporate additional renewable energy sources. Opponents question whether the lines are needed and if the costs are justifiable. This panel will address the needs and opportunity costs associated with the construction of these two transmission lines.
Read MoreUnclouding the Council's crystal ball: What we look at changes everything
Scenario planning lies at the heart of the analysis used to develop the 7th Northwest Power and Conservation Plan. The Northwest Power and Conservation Council wants your help in selecting and shaping the scenarios to be used. The 7th Plan will guide utilities’ energy choices, theoretically for the next 20 years and practically for at least five. Please look over the proposed scenarios and let the Council – and us – know which ones they must consider seriously while developing the 7th Plan.
Read MoreTell BPA to fulfill its energy efficiency commitments
Your help is needed to bolster Bonneville Power Administration’s commitment to energy efficiency. BPA is examining energy efficiency financing issues as part of a supplemental budget process and has floated two troublesome proposals: one to cut $10 million from the efficiency budget over the next rate period; the other to shift from capitalizing energy efficiency to expensing it. BPA needs to hear from stakeholders throughout the region that both of these ideas run counter to the region’s best interests.
Read MoreIdaho Statesman guest opinion: Idaho needs a plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions
Ken Miller of Snake River Alliance eloquently makes the case for a greenhouse gas reduction plan in Idaho. Miller points out that so long as Idaho utilities burn coal, their customers will be on the hook for inevitable regulatory costs. If Idaho doesn’t create its own emissions reduction plan, the state will face legal costs and the federal government may write the plan instead. Ken Miller will be one of our featured panelists at the NW Clean & Affordable Energy Conference May 29-30 in Boise.
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