public utilities

A nearly $180 million settlement with over 400 Oregon plaintiffs is the latest multimillion-dollar payout related to the deadly 2020 wildfires that ravaged the state.

A jury verdict that found power company PacifiCorp liable for devastating wildfires in Oregon in 2020 is highlighting the legal and financial risks utilities face if they fail to take proper precautions for climate change.

Emails obtained by OPB and KUOW show that at least six electric substations in the region have been attacked, at least two with firearms. At least two of the incidents bear similarities to the attacks on substations in North Carolina on Saturday that were also caused by gunfire and left thousands of people without electricity for days.

Private electric utilities in the Pacific Northwest are planning tens of millions of dollars in upgrades to reduce the risk that their power lines could spark wildfires during extreme weather. Utilities such as Pacific Power, Avista, Idaho Power, Portland General Electric and Puget Sound Energy are either required to or are voluntarily submitting wildfire mitigation plans.

With unemployment rates soaring, the state Legislature has just extended a moratorium on utility shut-offs for non-payment, through the end of this month.…

Seattle City Light wants to transform its historic Georgetown steam plant building into a museum and cultural center – with a twist. The search is on for…

The price of bitcoin set another new all-time high Wednesday, shooting past $13,000. The meteoric rise in the value of bitcoin and lesser known virtual...