Groups assail BPA’s woefully low efficiency spending proposal

NW Energy Coalition and 29 other clean energy advocacy organizations and businesses submitted a group letter to the Bonneville Power Administration April 11, urging the agency to adequately fund energy efficiency it its FY 2016-2017 capital budget. The letter expressed concern that the proposed budget is inadequate to meet BPA’s legal obligations or to pursue the best interests of the region.

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Governor signs bill to preserve Oregon's RPS

Today Governor John Kitzhaber signed HB 4126 to preserve Oregon’s highly successful Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS). The bill is the result of a diverse stakeholder process convened by the Governor to address a ballot measure, which would have gutted the state’s RPS by allowing existing hydropower to count towards the standard. Renewable Northwest commends the Governor for his leadership in preserving the RPS, which has helped to bring over $9 billion of capital investment to Oregon as well as thousands of jobs and tax dollars to rural communities.

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BPA seriously underfunding energy efficiency

Bonneville Power recently released its proposed capital budget, but it has not yet finalized its expense budget for public review. Given what we’ve seen so far, BPA’s draft budgets for 2016-17 seriously underfund energy efficiency efforts, making achievement of the full power savings called for in the regional plan unlikely at best.

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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.

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Oregon Future Energy Conference: April 22, 2014

Returning for its eighth year, this is a conference for all those working to build the clean energy economy, including members of the energy industry, energy end-users,policy makers, and economic development professionals – providing an exceptional forum for learning, networking, and business development. Content covers policy and economic development; the business of renewable energy; the business of energy efficiency; and energy sector highlights. The conference is presented by the Northwest Environmental Business Council.

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Editorial: Latest salmon deal is disappointing (again)

The Daily Astorian editorial describes how the most recent biological opinion (bi-op) produced by NOAA Fisheries on behalf of the Bonneville Power Administration lacks broad stakeholder input and fails to protect endangered salmon. The editorial also purports that the bi-op disregards strategies for returning Columbia River to a more natural state.

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BPA wins Platts Global Energy Award for grid optimization

BPA wins a prestigious award for its build out of the largest, most sophisticated synchrophasor network in North America.

The Bonneville Power Administration’s development of the most sophisticated synchrophasor network in North America landed the agency its first ever Platts Global Energy Award, the most coveted awards in the energy industry.

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