Susan Ackerman, chief energy officer at Eugene Water and Electric Board and a widely respected voice in regional energy policy, announced May 26 that she will retire in July. Read MoreFormer OPUC Commissioner Ackerman Announces Retirement From EWEB
Top Stories
The Yurok Tribe says a decision by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation not to implement a surface flushing flow on the Klamath River due to drought this year led to an outbreak of a deadly pathogen that likely killed large numbers of juvenile Chinook salmon, impacting runs for years to come. Read MoreYurok Tribe: Disease Spurred by Low Klamath Flows Leads to Fish Kill
Federal defendants in National Wildlife Federation et al. v. National Marine Fisheries Service et al. [01-640] are asking a U.S. District Court judge to dismiss a cross-claim by Columbia-Snake River Irrigators Association, for lack of jurisdiction. Read MoreFeds Seek to Dismiss Irrigators' Cross-Claim in CRSO EIS Lawsuit
Snohomish County PUD has launched the FlexEnergy pilot program to use demand-response approaches for shifting energy usage. Read MoreSnohomish County PUD Launches Trio of Demand Response Pilots
Facing the driest March and April since 1926, the Washington Department of Ecology issued a drought advisory May 27 for 29 of the state's 39 counties. A drought advisory is a new early warning tool that brings awareness and prompts readiness for water users as drought conditions are developi… Read MoreBrief Mentions: News Roundup
Energy efficiency is losing its ordained perch atop the Northwest resource stack. And that is good news. Now, the region can more clearly decide what are the ends it wants to use EE to help achieve? Read MoreEnergy Efficiency in the NW: The King Is Dead. Long Live the King!
The 5th Annual Pacific Northwest Wholesale Power Markets Conference June 17-18 will focus on the 2021-2022 outlook for regional markets and power systems, featuring an exceptional group of leading energy-expert speakers from the Northwest and California. Co-presented by NewsData and CJB Ener… Read MoreNW Wholesale Power Markets Event Focuses on 2021-2022 Outlook
California natural gas prices were mixed for yet another week despite the end of scheduled maintenance in Southern California. Read MoreVariations in Natural Gas Prices Continue
For your convenience, NewsData has compiled a list of the acronyms we utilize throughout the Clearing Up publication. Read moreWestern Energy Acronyms
In the latest Energy West podcast, Clearing Up's Dan Catchpole and California Energy Markets' Jason Fordney talk about the coal-fired Colstrip power plant's new lease on life and more. Read moreEnergy West: Jan. 26, 2023
Clearing Up's Dan Catchpole goes over the top 10 stories for the Northwest energy industry in 2022. Read moreTop 10 Energy Stories From the NW Energy Industry in 2022
The specter of impending capacity shortfalls has loomed over the Northwest's electric power sector for several years. Read MoreRising Risk of NW Capacity Shortfalls Could Be Operational Problem
Australian-based Woodside Petroleum is pulling out of the proposed C$30 billion Kitimat LNG project in a move that puts the export megaproject in jeopardy, leaving British Columbia with only two LNG projects still under development where seven years ago there were as many as 20 on the drawin… Read MoreWest Coast LNG Development Shrivels to Just Two Active Projects
Small modular reactors can be a competitively priced source of carbon-free energy for Washington state in coming years, a study funded by the U.S. Department of Energy says. Read MoreStudy: SMRs Can Help Washington Achieve Cost-Effective Carbon Goals
California needs another 11.5 GW of electric supply resources—about five times the capacity of the retiring Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant—to meet the region's expected demand in 2026, the California PUC said in a May 21 proposed decision. Read MoreCPUC Proposes Massive, 'Puzzling' Electricity Resource Buildout
Investor-owned utilities in Washington and Oregon will end the moratoriums on disconnecting electric and natural gas customers for nonpayment on Aug. 1, the regulatory commissions in the states announced. Read MoreOregon, Washington IOU Disconnect Moratoriums to End in Summer
The Oregon Supreme Court has invalidated three of the rules adopted by the Energy Facility Siting Council in January 2020, saying they exceed the agency's statutory authority [SC S067568]. Read MoreOregon Supremes Spike Sidestepping Siting Rules
State fish and wildlife commissions for Washington and Oregon will consider adopting a higher standard for fish recovery in the Columbia Basin, changing from meeting requirements under the Endangered Species Act to adopting a "healthy and harvestable" goal. Read MoreWashington, Oregon Discuss Columbia Basin Collaborative, Conservation Goals
With the first phase of studies and evaluations complete, the Upper Columbia United Tribes (UCUT) says it's time to investigate and test interim fish passage at Grand Coulee, Chief Joseph and three dams on the Spokane River, and to move ahead with large-scale survival studies on the feasibil… Read MoreUpper Columbia Tribes: Time for Phase 2 Reintroduction Is Now
Prospects for wind development off California's coast advanced May 25 following the Biden administration's announcement of an agreement between the Interior and Defense departments. Meanwhile, President Joe Biden and Senate Republicans traded infrastructure counterproposals, but large gaps r… Read MorePOTOMAC: California Offshore Wind Prospects Advance