The Economist reports "a case of favoritism towards electricity generated by federal dams" in the Columbia River basin, a stretch of land that encompasses Oregon, Washington state, Idaho, and western Montana.
As a nonprofit agency under the umbrella of the U.S. Department of Energy, the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) sells electricity generated by 31 federal dams in the Pacific Northwest.
Last month, the company "took all the region's wind turbines offline for about five hours and it expects to continue to pull the plug on them for a few hours almost every night until well into July, when enough snow in the Cascades and northern Rockies will have melted for the excess run-off (and therefore the excess power) to subside."
This radical course of action, in turn, triggered a litany of formal complaints from the wind power companies that spent upward of $100 million on wind turbines to serve the region's electricity needs.
"[T]he wind lobby is howling about government perfidy," The Economist reports.
FULL STORY: Renewable energy in the north-west
Washington Tribes Oppose Wind Project
Tribal communities claim that a major wind energy project threatens sensitive cultural and environmental resources.
California’s Shift to Renewables: Successes and Challenges
The state aims to run on 100 percent renewable energy by 2045.
Rural Areas Benefiting From Wind Energy Revenue
For some rural districts, tax revenue from wind energy projects can have a major impact on local school districts and infrastructure.
National Parks Layoffs Will Cause Communities to Lose Billions
Thousands of essential park workers were laid off this week, just before the busy spring break season.
Retro-silient?: America’s First “Eco-burb,” The Woodlands Turns 50
A master-planned community north of Houston offers lessons on green infrastructure and resilient design, but falls short of its founder’s lofty affordability and walkability goals.
Delivering for America Plan Will Downgrade Mail Service in at Least 49.5 Percent of Zip Codes
Republican and Democrat lawmakers criticize the plan for its disproportionate negative impact on rural communities.
Test News Post 1
This is a summary
Test News Headline 46
Test for the image on the front page.
Balancing Bombs and Butterflies: How the National Guard Protects a Rare Species
The National Guard at Fort Indiantown Gap uses GIS technology and land management strategies to balance military training with conservation efforts, ensuring the survival of the rare eastern regal fritillary butterfly.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
EMC Planning Group, Inc.
Planetizen
Planetizen
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service