Ag and Rural Caucus for April
Policy Briefing
6:30 pm Thursday 17 April
Nancy Hirsh, NW Energy Coalition
PNW Electrical Grid - Got solutions?
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85907982157?pwd=MU4vV3E3VGZ5VU02dnhvZjg2b3hKZz09
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Profits - how to share
In my last note I raised the question of power costs to us ratepayers. Don’t get me wrong. I am not wringing my hands about how developers and power companies can make money. They will be fine. There is a lot of money to be made in the power industry. And the power industry is guaranteed a return on their investment.
The good news on this front is that economic incentives will keep power developers coming into our communities with proposals. The better news is that they will have the means to make it worth our while as rural residents to host their project. This is where Community Benefit Agreements come in. We have talked about how CBA’s can compensate counties. Maybe lucrative CBA’s can even move central and eastern Washington county commissioners to smile shyly when a developer walks in with paper in their hand.
CBA’s and county commissioners are not Nancy’s home. But don’t count her out. She can help us.
Don
16 April 2025
What does it cost?
What about dollars? It is fine to advocate for wind turbines, solar farms, and even geothermal. After all, in Washington we do have a legislated requirement to phase out fossil fuels. Not to mention that it is a good idea to counter climate change. But what is it going to cost us?
Power generation takes money. Part of its cost is capital – how much does it cost to build the solar farm, for example, and how long will it last. The other part is the cost of operating that solar farm from day to day. What is the story about the relative costs of hydro, solar, wind, and natural gas?
Nancy can bring us up to date. You might even ask if we can expect to pay higher rates in the future, irrespective of whether that power comes from wind or atom smashing/fusing.
Don
16 April 2.025
GETs: The gee whiz of Transmission
The gee whiz just does not stop. GETs - grid enhancing technologies – means that we can procrastinate and not build new transmission lines. We just build in topology optimization, along with thermometers you know..
This is just part of what Nancy Hirsh handles on a daily basis. She may or may not have time to talk about GETs. That depends on you. Bring your questions and see if you can slow her up. If not, the fun just gets better. We win either way.
14 April 2025
Why, What and How
Our Policy Briefing presenter on 17 April, Nancy Hirsh, knows energy. She heads up the NW Energy Coalition.
To level the playing field, Nancy will brief us on climate change and Washington’s staged phase out of fossil fuels.
From there it is open season. She will talk to us about obstacles to our transition, e.g., rapid increase in electricity demand from EV’s, data centers et al., bottlenecks in moving energy from generation to consumption (transmission constraints), maybe even some of the political problems we have been talking about.
Solutions, or at least mitigations, are on the table too. Ideas like GET (grid-enhancing technologies), distributed generation and microgrids. Nancy has ideas, and is eager to share. Join the conversation.
Don
8 April 2025
My thanks to Vice Chair Robert Schutte and Anne Udaloy for guiding the meeting last evening and for presenting the program.
The link to the Policy Committee meeting plus Anne’s presentation is below. Tom Pasma’s invitation to Sunday’s Peace Arch activity is recorded in the first segment.
Don
4 April 2025
This is an example of a poster for tomorrow’s event happening around the state. This one is for Walla Walla, Check the website FiftyFifty.one for the event and time near you.
Be sure to join Anne this evening. Sure, you will get a VoteBuilder 101 and how it works - or doesn't - in rural Washington. You will also get to share ideas on how to connect with voters. This is part technology, part relationship building. Bring your experience. Bring your doubts. Just join.
Robert Schutte will lead the meeting this evening. Anne-Marie, my partner, is being celebrated this evening for more than a generation of leading the Walla Walla YWCA.. I want to be there for her.
The Policy Committee will meet at 6:00 pm with the same Zoom link. The Policy Committee is elected officers, appointed experts, and county chairs. Count yourself in even if you don't wear the right label. Tom Pasma in the Whatcom-Skagit area will talk about his success in organizing vigils at the Peace Arch. Bring your own plans and successes. There is a lot of activity planned for Saturday. Use this meeting to share details.
Don
3 April 2025
Better Practices
6:30 pm Thursday 3 April
Anne Udaloy
Organizing Locally in 2025
How to connect with rural voters? VoteBuilder any help? Bring your ideas.
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86197176823?pwd=6BIWfzuGjNJvviW6YvgbeDeLHKF8FA.1
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Policy Briefing
6:30 pm Thursday 17 April
Nancy Hirsh, NW Energy Coalition
PNW Electrical Grid - Got solutions?
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85907982157?pwd=MU4vV3E3VGZ5VU02dnhvZjg2b3hKZz09
Click link or Paste link into browser.
Our Better Practices roundtable is on the first Thursday of each month at 6:30 pm.. Use the link above for 2025.
Our Policy Series is on the third Thursday of each month at 6:30 pm. Use the link above for 2025.
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Ag and Rural Caucus of State Democratic Central Committee
Our mailing address is: Ag and Rural Caucus 2921 Mud Creek Rd Waitsburg, WA 99361