In the News: Higher Prices, Rolling Blackouts: The Northwest Is Bracing for the Effects of a Lagging Green Energy Push - ProPublica

RNW's Executive Director, Nicole Hughes, was quoted in ProPublica's article Higher Prices, Rolling Blackouts: The Northwest Is Bracing for the Effects of a Lagging Green Energy Push.

During a winter storm last year, utilities in Oregon and Washington came dangerously close to rolling blackouts. As demand surged, energy prices spiked, and grid congestion revealed how vulnerable our system has become. 

“Our region is nearing a resource adequacy crisis,” said Nicole Hughes, executive director of Renewable Northwest. “In the next few years, we may start having to make some tough choices about the availability of electricity.” Oregon and Washington have ambitious clean energy goals, but without investment in transmission, we cannot meet them. As Nicole stated, “Oregon desperately needs to take some leadership here.”