Spring 2024 Clean & Affordable Energy Conference

Join us on May 7 in Boise for our Spring Conference! Network with peers in the clean energy community and hear from experts on the pressing energy issues in our region. Panelists will discuss next steps in Columbia basin salmon recovery and decarbonizing our energy system, how new opportunities in broader power markets and transmission can benefit Northwest communities, and protecting customers and communities as the region decarbonizes and changes rates and regulatory structures.

Members of the NW Energy Coalition are encouraged to join our Member Meeting on May 7 from 8am – 10am.

Panel 1: Affordable, reliable energy services and Columbia basin salmon recovery  

The Biden Administration commitments with Northwest Tribal Nations and the States of Oregon and Washington sets the stage for the future of Columbia and Snake River salmon recovery efforts. This panel will explore the implications of the agreement, and the next steps to develop new energy resources to fulfill both energy system decarbonization and salmon recovery goals while maintaining affordability and improving reliability. We will discuss what’s next in terms of building a suite of new clean energy resources, including energy efficiency, demand response, storage, and new renewables, in preparation for when Congress authorizes lower Snake River dam removal in the coming years. Tribal energy development is a central component of the federal commitments, we will learn how this project development is beginning to unfold. 

Panel 2: Ensuring electricity markets and transmission expansion benefits Northwest communities 

Broader West-wide electricity markets and expanding the transmission grid are increasingly important to meeting our climate goals. This panel will review the benefits of a single, connected market for communities in Idaho, Montana, and across the West. Panelists will explore the current landscape, and emerging opportunities for communities to shape and benefit from new market structures. We will also explore how the region can use current transmission more efficiently, and how to ensure that communities are engaged early in new transmission development to ensure that projects are strategically sited and support the clean energy transition. 

Panel 3: Protecting Consumers and Communities as the Region Decarbonizes 

Consumer advocates, utilities and regulators are grappling with policies and programs that motivate decarbonization investments and reflect the changing energy landscape while still protecting customers and bringing direct benefits to communities.  Changes in rate structures and customer charges, like incentives and benefits for distributed resources like rooftop solar, can either encourage or disincentivize energy efficiency and other customer-side resources. We will explore the impacts of these mechanisms on communities, and the opportunities for more effective rate design across the region. 

Sponsorship and scholarship opportunities are available. Please email matt@nwenergy.org for more information.