Puget Sound Energy and Avista are in compliance with the state’s Energy Independence Act, the Washington UTC announced Aug. 8. Read More
Top Stories
The Northwest Power and Conservation Council has recommended BPA continue funding 48 projects in its Fish and Wildlife Program that the Independent Scientific Review Panel reviewed. Read More
As record numbers of shad continue to migrate up the Snake and Columbia rivers, the Northwest Power and Conservation Council decided it’s time to look into the ecological impacts of having millions of additional fish in the Columbia Basin. Read More
The Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission says the state’s Department of Fish and Wildlife needs an additional $50.5 million to meet operating costs, capital needs and new responsibilities in 2020—which include recent state and federal laws enacted to promote salmon recovery—and approved m… Read More
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers says between 200 and 300 gallons of oil at Lower Monumental Dam cannot be accounted for and may have leaked into the Columbia River from a turbine in Unit 2, prompting the agency to take the unit off line. Read More
FERC on Aug. 13 terminated Okanogan County PUD’s operating license for construction of the 9 MW Enloe hydroelectric project, after the PUD failed to begin construction by the July 9, 2019, statutory deadline. Read More
Avista has reached a settlement with all parties in its Oregon natural gas general rate case that, if approved by the Oregon PUC, would provide a 4.2 percent, $3.6 million annual revenue increase, the utility announced Aug. 14. Read More
A special fund setup under a three-year pilot project to help BC Hydro customers pay their power bills during times of financial hardship is turning out to be far less costly than expected. Read More
Avista on Aug. 12 announced a number of near-term leadership changes to facilitate the CEO transition next March, when Scott Morris retires and Avista President Dennis Vermillon steps in. These include promoting Mark Thies from senior VP/CFO to executive VP/CFO; Heather Rosentrater from VP o… Read More
Robert Kahn passed away the morning of Aug. 8 after a short battle with cancer. He was kept alive long enough for his kids to get back to Seattle to say goodbye. Read More
Peak power prices across the West picked up between $4 and as much as $18.25 in trading this week, a portion of which can be attributed to greater California demand and extreme heat across the Southwest. Read More
Upcoming Events
For your convenience, NewsData has compiled a list of the acronyms we utilize throughout the Clearing Up Publication. Read more
A pilot program aimed at commercial customers wanting to invest in intermediate-sized solar arrays was approved Aug. 15 by the Seattle City Council’s Housing, Health, Energy, and Workers’ Rights Committee. Read More
One of the region’s oldest wind facilities is about to get a makeover and a new lease on life. Read More
California’s grid operator is seeking federal approval of new market rules meant to address a bidding problem for Northwest hydro resources in the Western EIM, but is facing some resistance from state regulators. Read More
The Montana PSC went against two recent state court decisions in its Aug. 12 order setting terms of a power purchase agreement between NorthWestern Energy and two wind farm QFs. The commission contended in its decision that the court rulings did not create generally binding principles, but r… Read More
At an annual cost of roughly 1 percent of the region’s gross domestic product, deep decarbonization of all energy sectors in the Northwest is achievable but would require greater energy efficiencies, a greater reliance on the electric grid and decarbonization of energy supplies, a study comm… Read More
Seattle City Council on Aug. 12 adopted a resolution that lends Seattle’s support to the Green New Deal movement, proposing a sweeping local platform of ambitious ecological, social and economic goals. Read More
Twenty-two states, six cities and the District of Columbia on Aug. 13 sued in federal appeals court to challenge the Affordable Clean Energy rule, the Clean Power Plan replacement that the Environmental Protection Agency finalized on June 19. Read More