Resources & Publications

Congressman Earl Blumenauer of Oergon gives the keynote address at the 2008 NW Energy Coalition Fall Conference in Portland, OR on December 5.

Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles are a step beyond traditional hybrid vehicles. Much of their fuel comes directly from the electric grid, and thus their extensive employment has significant implications for the electric power system.

This issue of The Transformer considers those implications…

FIN and friends sound salmon alarm coast-to-coast

In a 20-state, 3-month migration, the giant fish named FIN crossed the country to tell Americans about the plight of Columbia and Snake river salmon and of fishing communities up and down the West Coast.

Winning the War on Coal

Coal is on the ropes, but its backers aren’t about to throw in the towel.

Vol. 5, No. 3 When big money talks, it pays to listen: Financiers cast critical eye on coal plant proposals Background This February, a press release from four of the country’s largest financial institutions caught utilities’ attention. Citigroup, Morgan Stanley, Chase and Bank of America announced they had endorsed a set of carbon principles to […]

Points and counterpoints on decoupling Transformer Background Our Nov. 28 Transformer on decoupling, a strategy for overcoming potential revenue losses for utilities that invest in energy efficiency, elicited a flurry of electronic responses. Several writers were complimentary; others sought clarifications of insider terminology (we’ll keep working on that!) or additional information, which we supplied them […]

Size matters ‘Mega’ wind farms could make new transmission practical Background The number and size of new and projected Northwest wind farms have exploded, matching the worldwide annual growth rate of 37-percent for the past seven years. Wind, however, continues to provide just a small fraction of the region’s power. To really combat global warming […]

Volume 4, Number 8 Decoupling 101: Breaking the link between energy sales and utility revenue Background Who doesn’t love conservation? We all know that more efficient energy use is the cheapest and cleanest resource going. The recognition that “the cheapest kilowatt is the one we don’t use” hardly qualifies as a “Eureka!” moment any more. […]

NW Energy Coalition’s 25th Anniversary

Fresh off some of its greatest victories, the NW Energy Coalition charges into its second quarter century.

Coalition stalwarts recall the personalities, the battles, the joys and accomplishments in 25 years of fighting for a clean energy future.

Volume 4, Number 7 PacifiCorp’s dilemma Background PacifiCorp is a large investor-owned utility serving portions of six states: Oregon, Utah, Wyoming, California, Washington and Idaho. In the not-to-distant past, NW Energy Coalition and other clean-energy advocacy groups commended PacifiCorp’s foresight in assessing the cost of carbon emissions while compiling its 2004 integrated resource plan (IRP) […]