By Region
Confronting Idaho Power's coal plans
The outcome of Idaho Power’s latest case at the Idaho Public Utilities Commission could affect the state’s energy picture for decades to come. If Idaho Power gets its way, the company and its customers will be married to a fleet of dirty coal plants for a very long time. Read more at the Snake River Alliance blog…
Read MoreIdaho Energy Update from Snake River Alliance
Idaho Power’s request to the Public Utilities Commission for approval of nearly $130 million in coal plant improvements is beginning to attract attention, and the public will have a chance to weigh in later this summer. Meanwhile, it turns out that Alternate Energy Holdings, the nomadic nuclear power plant developer, picked a Payette County reactor site that also happens to be home to a plant species the federal government says needs protection from activities such as nuclear power plants…
Read MoreGreat Falls Tribune: Wind at Spion Kop wind farm 'phenomenal'
Wind at NorthWestern Energy’s new 40-megawatt wind farm, called Spion Kop, is “phenomenal,” said John Hines, the regulated utility’s vice president of supply.
Officials with NorthWestern, turbine manufacturer General Electric, developer CompassEnergies and Judith Basin County gathered near a substation to celebrate the completion of the wind farm, which has been operating since December. It’s located 50 miles east of Great Falls.
Read the full article online at the Great Falls Tribune
Read MoreBig wins for clean energy in PSE case
A combination of rulings that some are calling the most important utility regulatory decision in decades paves the way for Puget Sound Energy to boost energy efficiency savings, make low-income families’ homes more livable and facilitate a fair and orderly end to coal-fired power production in WA state…
Read MoreThe Olympian: Olympia takes position against coal
The Olympia City Council voted unanimously Tuesday night to pass a resolution opposing the construction of coal export facilities in the Northwest.
The resolution states the council’s opinion, but exerts no control over the shipment of coal through the city or the construction of coal terminals, which in this state are proposed for Longview and near Bellingham.
Read more here online at: The Olympian.com
Read MorePortland Tribune: Oregon hits 2010 emissions target
Three years after the fact, Oregon can now boast that the state reached its first official milestone for stemming climate change — halting the growth of greenhouse gas emissions by 2010 and starting to reduce those emissions.
But the state is nowhere near where it needs to be to hit its second milestone — ratcheting back greenhouse gas emissions to 10 percent below 1990 baseline levels by 2020…
Read the full article at The Portland Tribune.
Read MoreInslee and Kitzhaber can lead a Columbia resolution – Editorials – The Olympian
For 12 years, Washington and Oregon have been on opposite sides of the Columbia Basin salmon deadlock. But Washington’s new governor, Jay Inslee, is the right leader at the right time to partner with Oregon Gov. John Kitzhaber so the two states can lead the Northwest to shared and lasting solutions for salmon, energy and agriculture.
Read MoreThe Spokesman-Review Guest Opinion: Clean energy incentives keep spurring growth
Seven years ago, Washington voters made the smart choice to invest in the state by supporting renewable energy. Washington voters passed Initiative 937, which created a clean energy standard. The law requires the state’s large electric utilities to incrementally increase their electricity from new renewable resources to 15 percent by 2020. This choice has paid off.
But, there are those in the Legislature who would dismiss this success by weakening the voter-backed initiative in a way that removes smart incentives for companies to invest in renewable energy…
Read the full opinion online at The Spokesman-Review
Read MoreBusinesses urge Wash. Governor Inslee to extend renewable sales and use tax exemption
Thirteen renewable energy companies and advocacy groups issued a letter to Washington Governor Jay Inslee today urging support of Senate Bill 5896. If passed, the bill would extend the renewable sales and use tax exemption, which has provided a tangible incentive for clean energy businesses to locate their projects in the state. The policy will otherwise expire in June.
Read MoreIdaho energy updates from Coalition member Snake River Alliance
Idaho Power received a surprise earlier this month when its majority partner in its Nevada coal plants announced plans to get out of the coal generation business, customers just received the bad news from Idaho Power that their rates will rise this summer due in part to poor river flows and power generation and more news inside…
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