Webinar: Commercial Energy Efficiency Financing

January 7, 1:00PM – 2:30PM (PST) To reach our carbon reduction goals and reduce costs we need to accelerate efficiency and achieve deeper energy savings from our commercial buildings and optimize their connection to the grid. Even though efficiency provides ongoing operational savings, the upfront costs can dissuade action. We need widely available financing tools…

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May 2020 Northwest Energy Update

May 2020 Northwest Energy Update NW Utilities’ COVID-19 Response The Coalition’s effort to persuade utilities to suspend service shut-offs during the coronavirus crisis has been quite successful, especially among the region’s largest utilities many of which are also increasing support for bill assistance and reconnecting those whose service may have been shut off before the…

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Coalition members sue Trump administration over emissions rule

NW Energy Coalition members Seattle City Light and National Grid are among nine utilities suing the Trump administration over its plan to replace the Obama administration’s Clean Power Plan with the Affordable Clean Energy rule.  The plaintiffs, who call their group the Power Companies Climate Coalition, argue that the Environmental Protection Agency’s ACE rule undercuts…

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Low costs and lots of jobs: The economic impact of I-937

FACT VS. INFERENCE: THE TRUTH ABOUT THE ECONOMIC IMPACT OF WASHINGTON’S CLEAN ELECTRICITY STANDARD An analysis released in 2013 by the Washington Policy Center (WPC) and the Beacon Hill Institute (BHI), claimed that by the year 2020, Initiative 937, the Energy Independence Act, passed by voters in 2006, would cost Washington electricity customers more than…

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A community adapts to life after coal

How a community, a company, and environmental groups are building the future Even before Centralia, Washington was founded, coal was being mined there. So, by the time the town was formally incorporated in 1886, the local mine was already its largest employer. Then, in 1971, Washington’s largest coal-fired power plant opened in Centralia and, between…

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October 5 is Energy Efficiency Day! Here’s why it matters.

Why is there an Energy Efficiency Day? Because all of us, especially policymakers, need to be reminded that, as we pursue economic growth and jobs, reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, a transition to a clean electric system, and affordable energy now and in the future, energy efficiency is doing the heavy lifting. We hear about…

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NWEC seeks 2 board members

Board of Directors Application Information    The NW Energy Coalition is seeking to fill two positions on its Board of Directors. The Coalition is a non-profit alliance of more than 100 environmental, consumer, civic, and human service groups; progressive utilities; energy efficiency and renewable energy businesses, and other Northwest organizations. The 15-member Coalition Board includes representatives…

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No time to retreat on energy efficiency: Part 2

Last week, part 1 of this post focused on the Northwest’s impending shortfall in meeting 7th Power Plan goals for energy efficiency as well as plans by Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) to cut funding for energy efficiency efforts by 10% in 2020 and 2021. That news comes against the backdrop of efforts by the Trump…

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