NW Energy Coalition announces new executive director

The NW Energy Coalition executive board is proud to announce that nationally admired energy policy authority Nancy Hirsh will succeed Sara Patton as Coalition executive director, effective in January. Hirsh has been Coalition policy director for 18 years. She’s left her personal imprint on such critical accomplishments as increasingly energy efficiency-focused regional power plans, agreements to end coal-fired power generation in Washington and Oregon once and for all, and the region’s landmark renewable energy and energy efficiency standard: Washington’s I-937.

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NW Energy Coalition and other Clean Energy Scenarios Stakeholders submit comments on PacificCorp's Integrated Resource Plan

The “Clean Energy Scenarios Stakeholders” (NW Energy Coalition, HEAL Utah, Idaho Conservation League, Mormon Environmental Stewardship Alliance, Powder River Basin Resource Council, Renewable Northwest and Sierra Club) have submitted comments for the PacificCorp’s 2015 IRP modeling process concerning proposed carbon price and solar PV scenarios. Click here to read the comments.

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Kelsey Jae Nunez named executive director of Snake River Alliance

After a rigorous national search and interview process, the Snake River Alliance Board of Directors has hired Kelsey Jae Nunez as the Alliance’s new Executive Director. Nunez, who will assume her leadership of the Alliance in her new capacity on August 11, replaces Liz Woodruff, who left the Alliance this month to pursue other opportunities and challenges in the Idaho nonprofit sector.

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Crosscut article: Are the feds simply shielding Columbia River dams from wrecking balls?

Conservation groups, tribes, fishing groups and the state of Oregon are taking the federal government to court again because its Biological Opinion (BiOp), regarding Columbia River hydro operations, inadequately address the needs of the river’s 13 endangered salmon species. Despite previous rulings in the plaintiff’s favor, the federal government has delayed making court-ordered improvements to the BiOp.

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32 groups sign letter to BPA on low-income energy efficiency

Thirty-one community action agencies, clean energy businesses, environmental advocates and other public-interest groups have joined the NW Energy Coalition in urging the Bonneville Power Administration to improve energy efficiency services to low-income families. BPA can help its customer utilities better serve their low-income populations by providing energy efficiency programs that will lower their bills and reduce shut-offs.

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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.

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