Spring Member Meeting Updates

May 11, 2021 at 10AM – 12PM (PST)

• FlexCharging is now managing EV charging in Australia with AGl, and enabling carbon optimized charging, beginning this week.  
• LWV of Idaho is working on climate, and starting a project to survey local government on their actions. 
• NRDC’s latest adventure with Jim Morton is a joint brief (by Chuck Magraw) in support of the Montana Public Service Commission’s authority to act as an independent and fully empowered investigator and fact-finder in utility regulatory proceedings. Chuck’s brief includes an overview of the history and purpose of state utility regulation. 
• Renewable Hydrogen Alliance update: May 20th – free half-day virtual event on renewable hydrogen and renewably generated e-fuels, together with WSU, Gov Jay Inslee, DOE. Register here: https://info.jcdream.org/charge-conference 
• SnoPUD: Still doing post-session wrap-ups. Doing a deep dive into Cap and Invest along with Clean Fuel Standards that the state passed in April. 
• Jaimes Valdez for an update: I am here in an individual capacity, but would note that the Portland Clean Energy Fund distributed $8.6 million in climate & equity centered grants in April, and will have another funding round opening later this year of approximately $60 million.  https://www.portland.gov/bps/cleanenergy 
• Sustainable Connections and the commercial branch of the Community Energy Challenge had a lot of success in our 2019 Solarize and Energize campaigns in rural areas that resulted in a lot of projects and site assessments in the last year, mainly in Island, San Juan & Skagit counties. We had a really high USDA REAP grant applicant success rate and excellent collaboration with SparkNorthwest and the San Juan utility OPALCO. Our goal in the next year or so is to do a similar campaign for rural businesses within Whatcom County. We will be collaborating with SparkNorthwest, Whatcom Conservation District, USDA, and the Port of Bellingham in 2021-22. 
• Bonneville Environmental Foundation has been working to bring the first renewable hydrogen fueling stations to Washington – potentially three stations with $4M in funding budgeted by the WA legislature. Our team has also been increasing our focus on tribal solar development – we recently completed a project with the Quinault Indian Nation (https://twendesolar.org/quinault) and are piloting a model for getting corporate financial support for tribal renewable energy projects. 
• Idaho Sierra Club won some big 100% Clean Energy municipal and county commitments last year and working on more in Eastern and Northern Idaho this year, along with supporting equitable implementation plans in Boise and the Sun Valley area. Also engaging with Idaho Power and Rocky Mountain Power on their Integrated Resource Plans and customer-solar programs, pushing for coal plant retirements, local clean energy development, planning for electrification, and customer rights to produce their own power with fair compensation. Lastly, advocating for salmon recovery and Rep. Simpson’s proposal to remove the 4 lower Snake River Dams and invest in local tribes and communities. https://www.sierraclub.org/idaho/blog/2021/03/snapshot-what-were  
• The Sierra Club Washington Chapter Energy Committee would appreciate any help in recruiting members. The Sierra Club in Washington is very busy on a number of energy issues, so the Committee will have major coordination responsibilities.