December 15, 1999
Advocacy
group celebrates green power offerings
Renewable energy got a boost Monday, when the Oregon Public Utility
Commission approved Portland General Electric’s (PGE) green power
tariffs. The approval allows PGE to sell environmentally friendly
power to its customers.
The Renewable Northwest Project, an organization consisting of environmental
groups and energy developers that promotes renewable energy projects
in the Northwest, praised the approval. "For the first time,
all PGE customers will be able to choose a renewable power product,"
said Peter West, Renewable Northwest Project’s Senior Policy
Analyst. "When people choose green power, they are helping the
environment," he added.
Beginning in January, PGE will offer two different green products,
"wind power" and "fish-friendly power." Residential,
commercial and industrial customers in PGE's service territory will
be able to buy a certain amount of their electricity from renewable
resources.
The electricity for PGE's wind power product comes a wind farm near
Pendleton, Oregon. Unlike power generated by fossil fuels, such as
coal or gas, electricity from wind has no air emissions, and does
not contribute to the pollution of our atmosphere, land or water.
Over 40% of the power consumed in the Northwest comes from fossil
fuels.
Funds from the sale of the wind product will create new investments
in renewable resources such as wind, solar and geothermal here in
the Northwest, helping to keep our air and water clean.
"PGE has demonstrated its leadership and made an investment for
our future by offering green power to its customers," said Rachel
Shimshak, director of the Renewable Northwest Project. "These
offerings will benefit both the environment and the economy of Oregon
and help maintain our quality of life," she added.
• • •
October
8, 1999
Northwest
Renewable Energy Group
Supports Utility Merger
The Renewable Northwest Project today praised the decision made
by the Oregon Public Utility Commission to approve the merger of
Oregon-based PacifiCorp and Scottish Power of the United Kingdom.
Scottish Power has made several important environmental commitments
as a stipulation to OPUC approval, one being the development of
50MW of additional renewable resources over the next five years
throughout the region.
"We are looking forward to working with the company and the
Commission to follow through on this commitment," said Rachel
Shimshak, Director of the Renewable Northwest Project.
The deal also calls for Scottish Power to offer a "green"
or renewable product to all of its customers throughout its entire
service territory, which "will allow customers to plug into
clean power, and provide additional and real benefits to the environment,"
noted Shimshak.
The utility will also make a contribution to the Bonneville Environmental
Foundation. The Foundation receives money from the sale of environmentally
superior resources and invests that money in additional fish and
wildlife restoration efforts and new, non-hydro renewable resources.
"We are very pleased with the Commission’s approval of
the deal, and appreciate Scottish Power’s approach to our community,"
added Shimshak.
Other benefits of the merger to customers include doubling PacifiCorp's
current investments in low-income and local conservation programs
and implementing standards and guarantees for important customer
services.
The Renewable Northwest Project is a regional advocacy organization
promoting the implementation of solar, wind and geothermal resources
in the Northwest.
###
Renewable
Energy Group Praises New Oregon Electricity Restructuring Bill Signed
Into Law
The Renewable Northwest Project today praised the new electricity
restructuring law as "balanced and good for the environment."
SB 1149, signed into law by Governor Kitzhaber on Friday, calls
for reserving three percent of utility revenues to invest in new
renewable resources, such as wind, solar, and geothermal, energy
conservation programs and low-income weatherization. It also allows
residential customers to choose green power, and calls for disclosure
of power sources and their environmental impacts to consumers.
"This law will protect consumers, restore programs that benefit
the environment, and continue low income programs," said Rachel
Shimshak, Director of the Renewable Northwest Project. "It
will allow all customers to choose clean, renewable resources for
their homes and businesses and provide investments to implement
those resources."
The bill had widespread support from such diverse allies as Industrial
Customers of Northwest Utilities, American Association of Retired
People, Citizens’ Utility Board of Oregon, and IBEW Local 125.
The Renewable Northwest Project supported the bill as a part of
the Fair and Clean Energy Coalition, a diverse group of advocates
who worked to include protections for consumers and the environment.
The new law allows industrial and commercial customers of Investor-owned
utilities to choose their energy supplier after October 1, 2001,
but maintains a regulated rate structure for residential consumers.
For residential customers, the bill provides a "portfolio"
of options, including a "basic rate," a "market rate,"
and a rate based on "significant" use of renewable resources.
The portfolio design continues to aggregate residential customers
to give them the greatest market power.
The Renewable Northwest Project is a regional advocacy organization
promoting the implementation of solar, wind and geothermal resources
in the Northwest.
#
# #
July 15, 1999
Oregon
passes law boosting clean, renewable sources of energy.
Renewable
energy got a boost today when the Oregon House voted 58-0 to concur
with the Senate version of House Bill 3219, a law requiring Oregon
utilities to offer "net metering" to small-scale solar,
wind and hydroelectric systems. Fuel cells can also qualify. The Senate
passed HB 3219 yesterday by a 27-0 vote.
HB 3219 is supported by the Renewable Northwest Project and the Oregon
Solar Energy Industries Association.
"Net metering" allows customers who own small renewable
energy systems or fuel cells to offset electricity purchases from
their utility by running their meter backwards while their small-scale
sources are at work. At the end of each billing period, consumers
pay for only the "net" energy purchased from the utility.
"This legislation provides significant new incentives for utility
customers to generate their own power using renewable energy,"
said Peter West, Senior Policy Associate for the Portland-based Renewable
Northwest Project. Added West, "Oregon's net metering law will
make investing in renewable energy easier and more attractive for
utility customers motivated by considerations of environmental protection
or energy self-sufficiency."
Beginning later this year, utilities will be required to offer net
metering to customers with home solar, wind, fuel-cell or hydro systems
of less than 25 kilowatts. Only systems meeting national standards
for safety and power quality can qualify.
"This breaks down artificial market barriers and is a necessary
first step to move Oregon into the Solar Age, " said Frank Vignola,
President of the Oregon Solar Energy Industry Association (OSEIA).
Oregon will be the fourth state in the Northwest to adopt net metering.
Montana passed similar legislation earlier this year and Washington
passed an equivalent law last year. The Idaho Public Utility Commission
has adopted an Order on net metering.
Aside from the Renewable Northwest Project and OSEIA, HB 3219 is supported
by over twenty industry associations, environmental groups and utilities,
including Ashland Municipal Electric, Emerald People’s Utility
District, Eugene Water and Electric Board (EWEB), PacifiCorp and Portland
General Electric.
The bill has been carried by Charles Starr in the Senate and Bill
Witt in the House.
The Renewable Northwest Project is a regional advocacy organization
promoting the implementation of solar, wind and geothermal resources
in the Northwest.
###
March
1, 1999
Contacts:
Ralph Cavanagh, NRDC, (415) 777-0220
Rachel Shimshak, RNP, (503) 223-4544
Jay Formick, Oregon HEAT, (503) 612-3790
Eric Blank, LAW Fund, (303) 444 1188
Joint
statement of the Natural Resources Defense Council, Renewable Northwest
Project, Oregon HEAT, and the Land and Water Fund of the Rockies
in response to the Scottish Power/PacifiCorp filing with the OPUC
The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), Renewable Northwest
Project (RNP), Oregon HEAT, and the Land and Water Fund of the Rockies
(LAW Fund) have initially reviewed the testimony filed Friday by
Scottish Power/PacifiCorp in the merger proceeding before the Oregon
Public Utility Commission. While none of these organizations has
yet taken a position for or against the merger, we are encouraged
by many of the consumer and environmental proposals contained in
the testimony.
Specifically, we are heartened by the commitment of Scottish Power
to: 1) Invest in 50 MW of additional renewable resources over the
next five years; 2) Offer a renewable product to all customers in
their service territories; 3) Double PacifiCorp's current investment
in low-income weatherization and bill assistance across their service
territories; 4) Implement standards and guarantees for important
customer services; and 5) Integrate environmental and consumer priorities
at the top level of the company's operations.
We value Scottish Power's inclusion of these and other specific
consumer and environmental proposals in its filing with the Commission,
and we appreciate its approach to our community. There are other
issues we look forward to addressing, such as additional energy
conservation commitments, as the proceeding unfolds. We look forward
to learning more about their plan and to working with Scottish Power
and the other parties to this filing.
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