NW Clean & Affordable Energy Conference draws largest-ever crowd; Coalition adds four new members
The NW Energy Coalition welcomed four new organizations to the family, honored exemplary clean energy leaders and symbolically passed the executive director torch from Sara Patton to Nancy Hirsh at its hugely successful Fall 2014 NW Clean & Affordable Energy Conference Nov. 7-8 in Portland.
Some 180 people – the most ever — attended Friday’s addresses and panels. Attendees learned about influencing behavior to fulfill energy efficiency potential; discussed opportunities and challenges to cleanly replacing aging, dirty power sources, considered consumer protection and utility revenue concerns surrounding expanded solar and other distributed generation; and got up to speed on how changing the Columbia River Treaty could affect power generation and other river uses in the basin. Click here to view conference photos.
Friday night’s Founding the Future gala drew an equally large crowd. The event looked back on the Coalition’s 33-year history through the eyes of several founding members and forward through the eyes of more recent clean energy leaders. It was also the occasion for honoring Patton’s 20-year legacy as executive director and celebrating longtime policy director Hirsh, who will move up to executive director when Patton moves on in January. Click here to view gala photos.
After an enlightening tour of Portland’s clean-and-green sports stadium, the Moda Center, the transition theme resumed for Patton’s final full board meeting as executive director Saturday afternoon. But important new business was conducted as well. Members voted to change the Coalition’s board structure, chose recipients of its annual awards and accepted applications from four prospective new members.
The new additions are:
Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians. ATNI, established in 1953, represents more than 50 tribes in Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Alaska, Montana, Nevada, and Northern California. Its Economic Development Corp., which promotes economic self-sufficiency, includes a Tribal Energy Program that addressed energy-related projects and Northwest hydropower issues.
Community Acti
on Center. Located in Pullman, Wash., the CAC supports more than 5,000 people living in poverty in Whitman County. It offers emergency and transitional housing, food supplements, legal referral, rental assistance, home rehab and home purchase assistance, and weatherization and energy assistance.
Dedicated to making energy efficiency more controllable and transparent, EnergySavvy’s cloud software platform unlocks value by engaging utility customers, automating programs and quantifying results. The only true enterprise demand-side management software company, EnergySavvy sets the standard in client success, expertise and innovation. Utilities use EnergySavvy to reach one-third of American homes and businesses in more than 20 states.
Seattle-based OneEnergy develops utility-scale solar energy projects and specializes in the creation of “next-generation” renewable energy solutions for institutional, university, corporate and utility clients to expand the clean energy market. Its president and co-founder, Bill Eddie, is a former NWEC chair.
The Coalition’s next NW Clean & Affordable Energy Conference is scheduled for May 29-30 in Boise. Save the dates!