July 2024 Newsletter – Ballot initiatives, Community Cohort field trip, and Columbia River Treaty!

By Matt Joyce | July 31, 2024

Featured

We’re hiring!

We’re hiring a Policy and Regulatory Associate based in Montana! Spread the word within your network – application review begins August 6.

Learn more

Fall 2024 Clean & Affordable Energy Conference

Save the date for our Clean & Affordable Energy Conference 8am – 5pm on November 13, 2024 at University of Washington’s HUB in Seattle, WA! Be sure to stick around for the Clean Energy Awards Reception from 5pm – 7pm.

In the States, on the Ground

Washington

Two ballot measures that will be before Washington voters this November threaten to rollback hard-fought progress towards decarbonizing our energy system.

Initiative 2117 would repeal the Climate Commitment Act, which has raised over $2 billion for critical investments in clean energy and transportation, wildfire prevention, climate resiliency, and tackling health disparities throughout the state. Use this interactive tool, developed by Clean and Prosperous Institute, to see what climate investments would be affected in your area.

Initiative 2066 would repeal both the Gas Utility Decarbonization bill (HB1589) recently passed in the legislature, and energy efficiency standards in Washington’s building codes. I-2066 would also stop state and local agencies from curbing fossil gas use in their own jurisdictions in the future. This initiative would threaten dozens of incentives, programs and policies designed to help people and businesses upgrade to more energy efficient homes and buildings.

We encourage you to vote no on both I-2117 and I-2066 to protect both climate progress and critical investments across the state. Learn more about the costs of I-2117 and pledge to vote NO here. Learn more about the No on 2066 effort here.

Oregon

The Oregon Community Cohort had their first field trip to Verde’s community solar project in Portland. The group discussed the local community benefits of the project, and how it became a reality. The Community Cohort is a space for community and capacity building between energy justice advocates – Oregon Just Transition Alliance, Verde, Multnomah County of Sustainability, the Coalition of Communities of Color, and NW Energy Coalition – and individuals interested in learning about energy and how to engage before the Public Utility Commission (PUC). The group has met regularly over the past couple years to discuss lived experiences connected to energy and utility programming, learn about PUC processes, and develop public comments. Stay tuned for next month’s blog post for a feature on the Community Cohort.

Idaho

Idaho Power’s 2025 Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) Advisory Committee process will start in August. IRPs are where utilities lay out their 20-year plan to acquire adequate energy resources to meet expected demand. Idaho Power’s advisory committee will work through a variety of issues – meeting huge industrial load growth, further integration of batteries, solar, and energy efficiency, and meeting demand response targets. Additionally, the committee will work through formal participation in the $1+ billion Southwest Intertie Project-North (SWIP-North) transmission line connecting Southern Idaho and Nevada, which would provide another path for clean energy to flow from the Southwest to the Northwest. The Coalition is supportive of increased transmission connectivity throughout the West to leverage the abundant clean energy resource potential in the region.

Montana

The Montana Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) and Department of Transportation (DOT) hosted two public information sessions this month to share an update on the state’s plan to build out its electric vehicle infrastructure. The sessions provided progress and timeline towards leveraging federal funding through the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Formula Program, established through the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA). Accessible EV charging is essential to continue the transition to a decarbonized transportation system, and the Coalition is supportive of these emerging efforts. Check out DEQ’s website for the webinar recordings and send any questions or comments in by August 23rd, 2024.

Electric Vehicle charging locations and planned “Alternative Fuels” Corridor

Northwest

An “agreement in principle” to revise the Columbia River Treaty was announced this month, updating the joint management of the Columbia basin hydropower system by the US and Canada. There are many details that are not public or are still being worked out. Unfortunately, the agreement does not include ecosystem function (protection for fish passage, wildlife and other environmental value) as a guiding principle in how the system is managed, despite strong efforts from Tribes and fish advocates and inclusion in the recommendation of the “US Entity” (Bonneville and the Army Corps of Engineers) a decade ago. Considering ecosystem function is critical to sufficient Columbia Basin management, alongside the power and flood risk management principles of the existing agreement.

The agreement provides more hydropower benefits to the US by ramping down the “Canadian Entitlement” to 500 megawatts (MW) of capacity and 150 average MW (aMW) of energy. To put those numbers in context:

1,141 MW capacity and 454 aMW energy is currently provided to Canada
Those benefits drop to 660 MW and 305 aMW in 2024/25
Those benefits drop further to 550 MW and 225 aMW in 2033/34

Additionally, the agreement transfers control of 1,120 MW of Bonneville Power Administration transmission rights to Powerex, the marketing subsidiary of BC Hydro. The ramifications of many of the provisions, including the transmission capacity deal, are not known as the details are still to be released.

The US State Department has just announced an “information session” on the CRT agreement-in-principle for Monday August 5th 12:00-12:45 pacific time, you can register here .

Favorite water activity!

Mike Goetz, Senior Policy and Regulatory Counsel

I like to stand up paddleboard (SUP)! Here’s me doing it in Florida last year.

Charlee Thompson, Policy Associate

Freediving! One of my favorite sensations is being completely submerged in water. Being able to spend moments with coral, fish, and honu while feeling the ocean’s energy is something I constantly crave.