Jay Inslee: Washington's 1st Congressional District
Issues
Local Energy Issues & Events
| Inslee helps secure $1 million for green initiatives at area utilities |
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[ 25 June 2008 ] The House Appropriations Committee approved a spending bill that included a total of $1 million in funding for clean-energy initiatives at two Puget Sound area utilities. |
| Inslee blasts changes to Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) in budget |
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[ 6 February 2006 ] U.S. Rep. Jay Inslee, member of the House Resources and Energy and Commerce committees, made the following statement in response to provisions in the president's newly released budget that could increase power rates for consumers in the Pacific Northwest: |
| BPA Rate Increase Excluded from Budget Resolution |
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[ 15 March 2005 ] U.S. Rep. Jay Inslee announced today that due to bipartisan opposition, the House has excluded from its budget resolution a Bush Administration proposal to force the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) and other Power Marketing Administrations to shift to market rates. The proposal, which was widely opposed by House Members from the Pacific Northwest, would have raised BPA rates for Northwest consumers and utilities to market level, as opposed to current cost of service based rates, through twenty percent annual increases. Last week, GOP Senators announced that they too were successful in keeping the provision out of the Senate version of the budget. A concern to Inslee, however, is that the House budget does send a "reconciliation directive" to the House Energy and Commerce Committee to cut $630 million for FY2006 and $20 billion over the next five years from programs within the Committee's jurisdiction, which could include the rate increase proposal. |
| Report on Employment Impacts of BPA Rate Increase |
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[ 14 February 2005 ] U.S. Rep. Jay Inslee released the results of a report today that estimates that between 40,000 and 60,000 people in Washington State and Oregon could lose their jobs over the next five years if the Bush Administration goes through with a budget proposal to force the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) to shift to market rates. |
| New Report on BPA Rate Increase Released at Nucor Steel Mill |
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[ 13 February 2005 ] U.S. Rep. Jay Inslee provided a report from noted economist Robert McCullough on the economic impact of the Bush Administration proposal to increase Bonneville power rates at a press conference and tour of the Nucor Steel Mill in Seattle. Joining Inslee were U.S. Rep. Jim McDermott (WA-07), Snohomish County Executive Aaron Reardon, management and workers from the Nucor steel facility and a Seattle City Light representative. The new economic statistics represent the potential cost to jobs and increase in power rates that would result from the Administration's proposal to force the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) to charge market-based rates. |
| Challenging Energy Secretary Bodman on BPA Rate Increases |
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[ 9 February 2005 ] Watch video of Inslee's portion of the hearing with Secretary Bodman. During a House Energy and Commerce Committee hearing today, U.S. Rep. Jay Inslee challenged new Department of Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman about the Administration's proposed rate increases for the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA), as well as $268 million in budget cuts at the Hanford nuclear site. In his response to Inslee's questions, Secretary Bodman suggested that BPA's legacy of charging cost-based rates to their Northwest consumers is subsidized by the American taxpayer. This characterization of BPA is inaccurate: BPA customers repay all of BPA's costs including paying interest on Bonneville's old, appropriated debt and any funds borrowed from the U.S. Treasury. The Secretary also indicated that Hanford's budget is being reduced because cleanup is winding down at Hanford. |
| Opposing Efforts to Raise BPA Rates |
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[ 7 February 2005 ] U.S. Rep. Jay Inslee expressed opposition today to a proposal in the President's budget that would require the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) to increase its power rates for Northwest utilities and ratepayers to market-based, as opposed to cost-of-service based rates. Current information indicates that the Administration could require the BPA to increase rates by twenty percent per year until the prices are in line with market rates. A conservative analysis suggests that that if the Administration's proposal were implemented today, it could cost Northwest consumers over $480 million in the first year, and over $2.5 billion over three years - with some experts estimating much higher costs. |
| Relief from Enron |
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Fighting to Help Snohomish County PUD Customers get Relief from Enron |
| Inslee Announces $700,000 Grant for Global Energy Concepts |
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[ 24 June 2003 ] U.S. Rep. Jay Inslee announced today that Global Energy Concepts will receive a federal grant of $749,832 from the Department of Energy, Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program. Global Energy Concepts will use the funds to enhance the use of carbon fiber in the design and production of efficient, light-weight wind turbine blades. The company employs twenty engineering and support staff in Kirkland, WA. |
| Conservation Summit and Photos |
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[ 31 March 2001 ] U.S. Rep. Jay Inslee, and many other officials from Washington including Senator Maria Cantwell, Representatives Rick Larsen, Jim McDermott, Brian Baird, and Adam Smith held an Emergency Energy Conservation Summit in Seattle. |
| Energy Commissioner Visits |
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[ 19 April 2001 ] Federal Energy and Regulatory Commissioner (FERC) William Massey came to an Energy Crisis Public Testimony held at the Snohomish PUD in Everett. Massey and Inslee heard testimony from local businesses and residents about the impact of high energy prices. |