The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reported a second oil spill in the Columbia River this month, this time at John Day Dam from a pinhole leak in a turbine guide bearing chiller, which spilled an estimated 63 gallons of oil. Read More
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A virtual ribbon-cutting ceremony on Dec. 15 marked the start of commercial operations for Clearway Energy Group's 57-turbine, 160 MW Rattlesnake Flat wind farm, which has a 20-year power purchase agreement with Avista. The facility, located in Adams County, Wash., started construction in April. Read More
Weather forecasters say a moderate La Niña is still likely to stick around through this winter, but it hasn't produced the colder and wetter conditions that usually come with cooler sea surface temperatures at the equator. At least, not yet. Read More
Scientists have long known coho salmon are especially sensitive to stormwater runoff. Some years, many die prematurely when they return to urban rivers to spawn. Read More
The Independent Scientific Advisory Board is preparing to take on two topics that have raised significant uncertainty in Columbia Basin salmon recovery—smolt-to-adult returns and what impacts them, and nonnative American shad, millions of which return to the Columbia Basin yearly. Read More
Jennifer Anders, a member of the Northwest Power and Conservation Council representing Montana, will retire in January after eight years of service. She was appointed by Gov. Steve Bullock in 2013. Read More
Kara Fornstrom, chairwoman of the Wyoming PSC, will leave her post Jan. 15 to join the Southwest Power Pool, effective Jan. 19, the regional transmission organization announced Dec. 17. In her new role, she will lead SPP's state regulatory policy efforts and support it's work on regional tra… Read More
Puget Sound Energy will file its draft 2021 integrated resource plan on Jan. 4, but the 20-year planning document is already proving to be unpopular. Neither environmental groups, nor the utility, seem to be satisfied with the results. A storm of opposition is brewing to it, like the one Por… Read More
An upcoming webinar at the end of January will explore the timely and vital topic of electric resource adequacy in California and the West. The Jan. 28-29 event, co-presented by NewsData and CJB Energy Economics, will feature a host of energy leaders from the Golden State as well as the Nort… Read More
Lacking an Arctic blast or other seasonal weather changes to propel demand, Pacific Northwest power prices sagged while other regional prices ticked up a few dollars. Read More
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Federal energy regulators on Dec. 17 voted down a proposal that could have forced the California ISO to replace its tariff to ensure system reliability. Read More
After learning about the successful operations at eight Columbia River System dams under a flexible spill agreement for the past two years, two members of the Northwest Power and Conservation Council praised the effort, while another asked about Oregon's intent to sue federal agencies despit… Read More
After spending the past 18 months working on its recommendation, the Governor's Salmon Workgroup in Idaho officially met for the last time on Dec. 15. Read More
Washington Gov. Jay Inslee unveiled a climate policy package on Dec. 15 for the 2021-2023 biennium, saying at a press conference, "Climate change is a health issue, an economic issue and an equity issue. We must address these very real threats to our state, and we cannot wait." Read More
Portland General Electric's third quarter trading losses were the result of being caught short in Southwest and California power markets and long in Pacific Northwest markets as wholesale prices spiked and transmission capacity was limited, according to an independent review of PGE's energy … Read More
The electricity sector in the Northwest in 2019 largely continued along its recent trajectories in economic results, implementing energy efficiency and steady regional loads, according to a Northwest Power and Conservation Council staff preliminary presentation Dec. 15 to the Council's Power… Read More
Workdays for staff analysts at the Northwest Power and Conservation Council are getting longer as they craft the 2021 Power Plan, an endeavor slowed by the COVID-19 pandemic and process changes in the plan's underlying models Read More
President-elect Joe Biden on Dec. 17 announced senior members of his incoming administration's "climate team," including former Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm as his choice for secretary of energy and Rep. Deb Haaland (D-N.M.) for Interior secretary. Meanwhile, the Department of Energy fina… Read More