PacifiCorp announced Nov. 19 it had energized a 140-mile section of high voltage transmission line that will help connect Wyoming's renewable energy resources with the West Coast. Read More
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The Southwest Power Pool said it has received letters of intent from several utilities to possibly place their Western facilities into its regional transmission organization, after a study found the move would produce $49 million in annual savings. Read More
Two large California investor-owned utility holding companies joined forces with 26 other companies and carmakers to form a new trade association to lobby for 100-percent zero-emission vehicle sales in the U.S. by 2030. Read More
Idaho Power received the highest marks among large utilities in the West, and Seattle City Light led the midsize category for utilities in the West, in J.D. Power's 2020 business customer satisfaction survey. Read More
Black Mesa Energy and Idaho Power have taken their three-year contract dispute back to the Idaho PUC, saying that settlement talks stalled. The latest chapter began in March, when the energy developer—which is seeking to build solar projects combined with battery storage—asked the commission… Read More
While the promise of electrification—replacing natural gas by electricity in heating and power use to reduce greenhouse gas emissions—has much to recommend it in principal and "on paper," in practice it could be a complex endeavor, and may end up increasing cost for little reduction of GHG. … Read More
The continental U.S. is well-prepared for its winter heating needs with 3,920 Bcf of natural gas in storage. Read More
The Pacific Northwest Electric Power Planning and Conservation Act (better known as the Northwest Power Act) turned 40 years old in December. Read more
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Portland General Electric on Nov. 18 announced an ambitious greenhouse gas reduction goal that commits it to acquiring only noncarbon emitting energy resources over the next 20 years. Read More
For the first time, LEDs became the majority product in the Northwest nonresidential lighting sector in 2019, when they accounted for 52 percent of unit sales, according to an annual survey published in September and conducted by BPA and the Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance. Read More
Chelan County PUD is fine-tuning a plan to stamp out "heat or eat" situations, in which a customer may face a choice between paying a power bill and buying groceries or other necessities. Read More
PacifiCorp would transfer the operating license of the four hydroelectric projects on the lower Klamath River to the states of Oregon and California, along with the Klamath River Renewal Corporation, but would continue to pay for nearly half the costs of removing the dams, according to a dea… Read More
Four years after the Environmental Protection Agency approved a federal plan to cut haze-causing emissions from two PacifiCorp coal plants in Utah, the agency instead replaced it with a state plan that doesn't require use of stricter controls for nitrogen oxides emissions. Read More
California grid officials are expecting up to 1,500 MW of energy storage to come on line by the end of next year and are refining market rules to more quickly and efficiently integrate storage with other resources. Read More
Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic shutdowns, Snohomish County PUD is working on an island getaway—a microgrid island. Read More
FERC on Nov. 19 affirmed Order No. 872, the sweeping rule revamping implementation of the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act. Meanwhile, the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee reported out the nominations of Mark Christie and Allison Clements to fill two FERC vacancies. Barras… Read More