The first phase of the Wheatridge Renewable Energy Facility, located in Morrow County, Ore., started commercial operations on Dec. 7 when Portland General Electric began receiving power from the 300 MW wind farm associated with the project, the utility and NextEra Energy Resource announced. Read More
Top Stories
Surplus hatchery summer Chinook salmon released this year by the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation have spawned in an upper Columbia River tributary, leaving salmon redds in an upper Columbia tributary for the first time in more than eight decades. Read More
A regulatory filing mistake has led Puget Sound Energy to overcharge most of its customers since Oct. 15, an error expected to total $4.7 million by year's end. Read More
Federal defendants say a remedy proposed by environmental groups for the Willamette Valley Project (WVP) is "draconian," and fails to ensure that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers can legally implement it, or that it would not harm upper Willamette River Chinook and steelhead, listed under th… Read More
After meeting for the past 18 months, the Idaho Governor's Salmon Workgroup will present its recommendations to Gov. Brad Little during a virtual meeting from 1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Dec. 15—the group's final meeting. Read More
David Ward, Grays Harbor PUD general manager, plans to retire in 2021 after spending more than 35 years working in public power. In the PUD's December newsletter, Ward thanked customers for the "privilege of serving" at the utility's helm, a position he's held since 2013. He highlighted some… Read More
Elliot Mainzer has a laundry list of challenges ahead of him as he takes the helm of the California ISO, most notably reforming a resource-adequacy program that has run off the rails a bit in the state, as well as improving the ISO's relationship with state agencies. Read More
Despite roughly similar week-over-week regional power demand, Western energy prices moved lower in Dec. 3 to Dec. 10 trading. Read More
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For your convenience, NewsData has compiled a list of the acronyms we utilize throughout the Clearing Up Publication. 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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New sensor technology and predictive models employing machine-learning methods under development by Chelan County PUD already are showing how they can reduce forced outages and unnecessary maintenance for the utility's hydropower fleet. One tool already is in beta testing, while others are i… Read More
NW Natural Gas has asked the Oregon PUC to move the filing deadline for its 2021 integrated resource plan from early March 2021 to late July 2022, citing likely delays stemming from Gov. Kate Brown's executive order mandating actions to limit greenhouse gas emissions. Read More
For the third time this year, a Montana state court slammed the Montana PSC for violating energy law and ignoring its own precedents and rulings to set unfair terms. Read More
Thirty-five consumer-owned utilities in Oregon and the associations that represent them told Gov. Kate Brown they are "profoundly disappointed" with Oregon's 60-day notice of intent to sue the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Bureau of Reclamation over the Columbia River System Operations Re… Read More
The Fish Passage Center says a scientific article published in Fish and Fisheries in October is technically flawed, and that the data presented do not support conclusions that ocean conditions—and not hydroelectric dams—are causing serious declines in Chinook salmon runs from Northern Califo… Read More
The Department of Energy is hoping to name a new BPA administrator by the end of the month and has interviewed five candidates this week, according to several sources. Read More
Three Northwest congressmen introduced a resolution in the U.S. House of Representatives Dec. 9 calling on President Donald Trump to immediately terminate power provisions of the Columbia River Treaty. Read More
Puget Sound Energy and Snohomish County PUD recently launched what they say could be an unprecedented collaboration to combine their energy efficiency programs for small businesses. Under the new agreement, a business now has only a single point of contact to help cut their energy bills. Read More
The Environmental Protection Agency on Dec. 7 finalized a rule leaving unchanged ambient air quality standards for particulate matter, drawing praise from industry groups and attacks from environmental organizations and California Attorney General Xavier Becerra, President-elect Joe Biden’s … Read More