By Tate Rosentreter | The Center Square contributor
(The Center Square) – The U.S. Department of Energy issued an emergency order across 17 states directing the employment of unused backup generation to keep power during summer heat, and an energy industry advocate says the emergency points to the unreliability and failure of wind and solar power.
When asked what infrastructure the electricity purchased by Microsoft would support, Keaton Thomas, Avangrid external communications manager, said Bluebird Solar will connect to the regional electric grid and “support the reliable delivery of electricity throughout the region,” but did not identify any specific Microsoft facilities.
Turning on the lights or air conditioning inside a house is costing Gorge residents and businesses more this year. Electric utilities state that the price increase stems from the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA), a federal nonprofit that markets energy throughout the Northwest.
By Trisha Walker and Uplift Local Documenter Sarah Burr Arnold, Columbia Gorge News
Updated
Free news: Trout Lake School District has a new superintendent. Doug Dearden was sworn in by Chair Laurie Sherburne at the June 24 school board meeting.
MOSIER — The board was going to use emergency funds to update their failing infrastructure, but after months of silence and uncertainty, Mosier Community School (MCS) is able to access the grant program again.