Portland getting solarized

Several companies have been working with the Energy Trust of Oregon and the city of Portland to solarize the city. The project goes from neighborhood to neighborhood, with hundreds of customers signing for installation of photovoltaic cells. So Portland is experiencing a huge penetration of solar power at very reasonable costs thanks to economies of scale…

Read More

Avista reaches settlement with stakeholders in latest rate case

Spokane-based Avista Corp., which provides electric and natural gas service to much of northern Idaho, has joined the staff of the Idaho Public Utilities Commission (PUC) in asking the Commission to approve a rate case settlement agreement that could mean higher rates – though not as high as the utility first sought.

Read More

Regulators weigh utilities’ efficiency targets in Washington state

Following a lengthy process, the Washington’s Utilities and Transportation Commission approved PacifiCorp’s and Avista Utilities’ targets for meeting the energy efficiency provisions of the state’s clean energy law. Initiative 937 requires the state’s major electric utilities to capture all of the cost-effective conservation in their service territories beginning in 2010.

Read More

Working Snake River project seeks broad involvement, political leadership to protect Northwest wild salmon

Working Snake River for Washington, a collaboration of clean energy proponents, conservationists, salmon and orca advocates, commercial and recreational fishermen, farmers and businesses, is a response to the government’s two-decade, multi-billion-dollar failure to craft a lawful, science-based federal plan that protects the Columbia Basin’s endangered wild salmon and steelhead.

Read More

Welcome to the first eActivist

From Executive Director Sara Patton: My first eActivist column promises to be shorter if not sweeter than my hard copy columns of yore. Electronic communications have proved a great boon to public-interest advocates, and we’re moving to take advantage of that opportunity.

But we’ll need to fully deploy all modes of human communication to surmount the challenges before us.

Read More

The Energy Activist – Summer 2010

Welcome to the first online edition of the Energy Activist. Electronic communications have proved a great boon to public-interest advocates, and we’re moving to take advantage of that opportunity.

The Energy Activist Online helps Coalition members and allies keep track of often complex energy and salmon issues. Each edition explores a key issue affecting the Northwest’s energy future…

Read More