Renewable Northwest Project

Programs: Renewable northwest encourages the development of environmentally responsible renewable resources through the establishment of siting guidelines that balance habitat & wildlife with development, transmission planning, and renewable energy integration into the electric grid. Renewable northwest promoted policies, before public utility commissions and other forums, that reduce barriers and encourage the development of clean energy in each of the northwest states (oregon, idaho, montana and washington). Renewable northwest supported utility programs that offer customers the opportunity to purchase clean power directly, as well as renewable energy standards that require utilities to purchase clean energy for the benefit of all their customers. Renewable northwest engages in communications efforts to support new renewable energy, and also provides education services on renewable energy issues.

b. Through april 2017, renewable northwest managed the northwest wind resource and action center effort (nw wind center) under a contract with the national renewable energy laboratory. The nw wind center is one of six regional wind resource centers in the u. S. In partnership with nw sustainable energy for economic development (nw seed) and the oregon department of energy, the nw wind center develops and refines factual information about wind energy, and effectively deploys that information publicly, in regulatory and policy proceedings, and with the media throughout the region. Renewable northwest collaborates with a broad range of stakeholders to advance the development and deployment of responsible land-based, distributed, and offshore wind energy in the northwest.

c. Renewable northwest has specific focus on furthering the contribution of solar to solving the region's energy needs. Through a subcontract with washington state department of commerce, renewable northwest is contributing to the solar plus state & regional solar strategies seeds 2 ses (solar plus) work for the us department of energy to help facilitate the development of state level goals, compile and make available data to inform goals and metrics, and participate in the technical working group on valuation of grid assets. Renewable nw provides needed feedback from key stakeholders in washington and oregon, and also provides general technical assistance for partners in the solar plus effort.