Energy

National

Biden ending new leases in America's top coal region

Citing climate change, federal land managers are moving to end new leasing for coal in the country's top producing region.

Seattle is now an air conditioning town

For the first time, most homes in King, Pierce, and Snohomish counties now have air conditioning.

Washington council approves wind farm near the Tri-Cities, slashing turbine numbers

The largest proposed wind farm in Washington got a partial thumbs up on Wednesday from the state's energy siting council. The controversial project in southeastern Washington has raised concerns about ridgeline views, tribal cultural resources and endangered hawks.

Not in my valley. Some San Juan Islanders say no to solar power

The island utility wants to cover a pasture near Friday Harbor with 5,200 solar panels to help San Juan Island avoid blackouts. Opponents of the project along the San Juan Island Scenic Byway say they welcome solar power, but not on San Juan Valley farmland preserved as open space.

Washington holds first carbon auction of 2024, with program's future in doubt

A ballot initiative aiming to stop Washington state from charging for carbon pollution is already reshaping the state’s carbon market.

U.S. hydropower drops to 20-year low as Northwest snowpack shrinks

After a week of heavy storms that dumped 5 feet of snow in the Cascades and left skiers giddy, Washington state’s snowpack was still just 73% of normal.

Controversial energy project moves closer to breaking ground

A controversial energy project in south central Washington is one step closer to breaking ground. A federal commission released its final environmental review for the Goldendale Pumped Storage Energy Project – to the consternation of several tribes and environmental groups.

Largest proposed wind farm in WA slashed in half, firefighting issues are part of the problem

A controversial wind farm that was set to be the largest in Washington has been slashed nearly in half. The project developer said the new restrictions could be bad for renewable energy development around the state.

Why PSE urged Western Washington to conserve energy amid severe cold

Energy utilities in Washington and Oregon asked their customers to curtail gas and electricity usage on Saturday after the Northwest’s largest storehouse of natural gas shut down amid extreme cold temperatures.

This week’s catch on the Skagit delta: Tasty crabs, toxic soil

As a fishing fleet hauled in 250,000 Dungeness crabs just offshore, backhoes dug up 23 truckloads of gasoline-tainted soil from the Skagit River delta on Tuesday.