Washington

Gov. Inslee proclaims October 30 Weatherization Day in Washington State

Washington’s Weatherization Assistance Program will help many households make it through the cold weather season – and the years ahead – by adding insulation, sealing cracks, and making other improvements that reduce heat loss and save money on energy bills. The program is funded through a partnership of the U.S. Department of Energy, the Bonneville Power Administration, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Washington State, and private and public utilities.

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Grist article: How one building is changing the world

The Bullitt Center in Seattle was designed to be the greenest commercial building in the world in 2012. Due to strict guidelines prohibiting the use of toxic chemicals in its construction, safer building materials were innovated to meet the Bullitt Center’s needs. The company Building Envelope Innovation replaced toxic phthalates in its sealants and coatings with non-toxic ingredients. The change will benefit the company’s employees who regularly handle the products.

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Nuclear in the age of climate change brown bag discussion

On October 6, 2014 the NW Energy Coalition hosted a brown bag lunch featuring nuclear power expert Ed Lyman from the Union of Concerned Scientists.   Dr. Lyman is the co-author of the recent book, Fukushima: The Story of a Nuclear Disaster (New Press). His work has focused on critical nuclear issues such as civilian and…

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New federal equipment standards create big Northwest energy savings

In the past five years, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has cranked out federal appliance and equipment standards that by 2029 will produce almost 800 average megawatts of Northwest energy savings that will greatly help the region achieve the savings goals of current regional power plan, according to preliminary analyses by the Bonneville Power Administration and Northwest Power and Conservation Council. These standards have tremendous success in creating significant energy savings at the lowest possible costs.

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NW Energy Coalition seeks policy director

The Policy Director is a senior level position responsible for overseeing the development and implementation of a four-state policy agenda based on the goals of the Coalition. The work focuses on regional and state policy (regulatory and legislative) and utility proceedings and includes working with industry experts, building coalitions and educating stakeholders.

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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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Public input will be crucial in shaping next regional power and conservation plan

Work on the next regional power plan is shifting into high gear. The Seventh Northwest Power and Conservation Plan, like its six predecessors, will guide Bonneville Power Administration and public utility resource choices and set the regional benchmark for meeting predicted electricity needs over the next 20 years. Public comments on both are due Oct. 31.

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The Columbian Op-Ed: Climate woes, income inequality can be tackled together

K.C. Golden, senior adviser for Climate Solutions, and Jeff Johnson, President of the Washington State Labor Council, insist that our leaders must do more to address climate change and inequity issues. They point out that through advancing energy efficiency, we can create jobs, save bill-payers’ money, reduce climate pollution and build healthier communities.

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