(HELENA) - Governor Brian Schweitzer announced today that the 9.6 MW Gordon Butte wind farm has recently completed construction and is now fully operational. 

There is little to no evidence that wind turbines pose a risk to the health of residents living near them, a panel of independent scientists and doctors found in a report commissioned by the state Department of Environmental Protection.

Christina Williams of Sustainable Business Oregon included Rachel Shimshak, Executive Director of Renewable Northwest Project, in her list of top ten energy leaders to watch in 2012.

NaturEner USA of San Francisco announced Tuesday that the renewable energy company has received financing it needs to proceed with construction of a 189-megawatt wind farm on 21,000 acres in Glacier and Toole Counties, its third wind farm in Montana.

San Francisco, California – January 9, 2012 – San Francisco, California-based NaturEner USA, LLC ("NaturEner"), a renewable energy company, announces that it has secured a $320 million construction loan with Morgan Stanley that will enable construction of the 189 megawatt (“MW”) Rim Rock wind power project.  NaturEner has given full notice to proceed to its contractors and expects Rim Rock to achieve commercial operation by the end of 2012.

Boston, MA—First Wind, an independent U.S.-based wind energy company, today announced that it has obtained $210 million in financing for the company’s subsidiary, Palouse Wind, LLC, the owner of the 105 MW Palouse Wind project located in northern Whitman County, Washington. With financing in place, First Wind will continue on schedule with construction of the largest renewable energy facility in the county with the capacity to generate enough clean energy to power about 30,000 Northwest homes, equal to the total energy load of all of Whitman County.

Federal energy regulators told the Bonneville Power Administration Wednesday that it can no longer discriminate against wind farm owners by cutting off their transmission during periods of excess electricity generation in the region.

It’s official: wind wins.

That’s the very simple summary of a ruling from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Wednesday, which ordered the Bonneville Power Administration to halt the practice of curbing wind power in the Pacific Northwest.

SNL Financial recently posted an article by energy reporter Lisa Cohn, who covered RNP's response to inaccurate media coverage of clean energy jobs in Oregon. By highlighting corrective data and more, Cohn illuminates Oregon's clean energy economy success story. Read the article below, or visit SNL's website and register as a subscriber to comment on the blog post.

RNP Pursues Correction to The Willamette Week's Wrong Report

Recently, The Willamette Week newspaper made a major mistake in a report about clean energy jobs. This error offered an opportunity to make a pointed public correction, while shedding light on the story of how clean energy investments have driven related job growth at unprecedented rates. Despite our numerous correction attempts, The Willamette Week declined on issuing a follow-up report.

Portland, Ore. (November 14, 2011)— As national leaders in green power convene for the annual Renewable Energy Markets Conference in San Francisco, Renewable Northwest Project - a leading advocate for renewable energy - released its eleventh annual report on retail green power programs in the Northwest. The report indicates that customer participation in voluntary green power programs increased 8.5% in 2010, demonstrating a continued trend of growing consumer preference for renewable energy, despite sustained recession conditions.

RICHLAND, Wash. – A new report (PDF) from the American Wind Energy Association ranks Washington No. 6 and Oregon No. 7 in wind energy installations though the third quarter of this year. The states rank high even though neither Oregon nor Washington added or expanded any wind projects during the past three months.

It seems almost everyone loves small-scale renewable energy, the rooftop solar panels and backyard wind turbines that help power residential homes.

Sure, some may scoff at the desire to take control of your own energy consumption. But by and large, most people will see it as your right to produce what you use. “More power to you” they’ll say, literally.

Big Sky, MT. (September 26, 2011) — Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer was today honored by Renewable Northwest Project - a leading non-profit regional advocacy group - for his leadership in supporting Montana’s generous endowment of renewable energy. The Governor received this recognition at the Western Wind and Transmission Leadership Summit in Big Sky, along with a custom bolo tie featuring iconic Montana designs.

A new report, Western Grid 2050: Contrasting Futures, Contrasting Fortunes, examines two very different energy investment pathways facing the 11 western states: business-as-usual or a new clean energy trajectory. The report finds that with intentional policymaking and planning today, the West can successfully transition to a clean energy economy that will deliver job, environmental and public health benefits for decades to come.

"Wind turbines are back to transmitting power without interference in the Northwest as the Bonneville Power Administration has ended a 53-day curtailment period aimed at balancing the grid amid high water flows. But whether that policy benefited more than economics for BPA is now the subject of dispute.

"I’m writing regarding the recent editorial about eminent domain and the struggles over power lines. The editorial made some factual errors that need to be addressed.

First, let’s address the current controversy over siting of two power lines, the Mountain States Intertie and the Montana Alberta Tie line. Each of these lines has its own particular issues which are varied and complex.

WASHINGTON — Montana boasts one of the highest concentrations of "green" jobs, but the growth of that environmentally friendly sector has been slower than the national average, a new report concludes. 

Salem, Ore. (June 24, 2011) -- Renewable Northwest Project (RNP) – a non-profit regional advocacy group – issued the following press statement today in response to the Oregon legislature’s passage of House Bill 3672, which revised the state's Business Energy Tax Credit (BETC) incentive program.

"A coalition of five companies filed a claim with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission today, charging the Bonneville Power Administration with violating the Federal Power Act by requiring wind farms to shut down operations. The claim cites decades of regulatory policy as grounds to get more than 2,000 wind turbines back on the grid."

BOISE, ID – The Shoshone-Paiute Tribes announced its support for the proposed China Mountain Wind Project in the Twin Falls County, Idaho and Elko County, Nevada region. The project, being developed by China Mountain Wind, LLC, a subsidiary of RES America Developments Inc. and NV Energy, will bring renewable energy, new job creation and economic benefits to the area.

"The Oregon Business Energy Tax Credit program, accustomed to having hundreds of millions of dollars worth of tax credits to issue each year, may soon have to share just $10 million with a handful of other programs. 

U.S. Rep. Earl Blumenauer, D-Oregon, joined the American Wind Energy Association and others today in accusing the Bonneville Power Administration of discriminating against wind power at a time it needs help to expand, and failing to adopt strategies identified in a 2007 report on integrating wind power into the Northwest energy grid.

"The manager of most of the electricity in the Pacific Northwest is running such a surplus of power from hydroelectric dams that it put wind farms on notice Friday that they may be shut down as early as this weekend. The Bonneville Power Administration has more than enough electricity during a cold, wet spring that has created a big surge in river flows where hydroelectric dams are located. The agency responded by announcing its intentions to curtail wind power until the grid has more capacity, in a move likely to cost the industry millions of dollars."

SoloPower, Inc., a California-based manufacturer of flexible, thin film solar cells and modules, announced that it has signed a non-binding memorandum of understanding with the City of Portland to locate a high volume manufacturing facility in Portland.

San Francisco, CA (PRWEB) May 04, 2011 - San Francisco, California based NaturEner USA, LLC, a renewable energy company, announced today the commencement of operations for its NaturEner Operations Center, a fully enabled, state-of-the-art, 24/7, real-time desk located in NaturEner’s San Francisco Headquarters, with the purpose of supporting both commercial and operational functions for NaturEner’s operating projects.

Renewable Northwest Project submitted a "Review of Scientific Literature Regarding Wind Power Generation Facility Siting" to the Umatilla County Board of Commissioners, regarding the amendment to Conditional Use Section 152.616 (HHH) of the Umatilla County Development Code.

Each article has been uploaded here as a link to download:

"San Diego Gas & Electric has signed an agreement with wind farm developer NaturEner to finance $250 million of a 309-megawatt wind farm proposed in Montana, helping the investor-owned utility meet California's renewable energy standards.

Bill Alexander, NaturEner's chief development officer, said SDG&E is ensuring the Rim Rock wind farm gets built while satisfying its renewable energy requirements.

MILPITAS– Governor Edmund G. Brown, Jr. today signed SBX1 2, which requires one-third of the state’s electricity to come from renewable sources. The legislation increases California’s current 20 percent renewables portfolio standard target in 2010 to a 33 percent renewables portfolio standard by December 31, 2020.

ReCharge, an international industry news outlet, ran an article highlighting Oregon's renewable energy investment success story in the April 8th issue. Reporter Benjamin Romano recently traveled to Portland to attend an RNP press conference during which the $5.4 billion landmark news was detailed. Normally, readers must subscribe to the publication to access ReCharge articles, but the editor has graciously allowed RNP to post a PDF of Romano's article to our website.

SNL Financial's Blog posted an article on Monday, April 4, 2011 by energy reporter Lisa Cohn on Oregon's business energy tax credit (BETC).  Read the article below, or visit SNL's website and register as a subscriber to comment on the blog post.