Staff Attorney Mike Goetz Joins Renewable Northwest Board of Directors
Posted on October 26, 2018 by Mike Goetz
Tags, Energy, General Interest

Earlier this month, I had the distinct privilege of being appointed to serve on the Board of Directors of Renewable Northwest (RNW) (renewablenw.org). CUB has been a member and maintained a lasting relationship with RNW over the years since its founding in 1994, and I am proud to continue the tradition of bringing a customer advocacy perspective to the Board’s decision-making calculus. Since its founding, RNW has grown to become one of the nation’s premier renewable energy advocacy organizations focused exclusively on advocating for new, clean, sustainable, renewable resources. Although headquartered in Portland, its influence extends well beyond Oregon with a robust presence in Washington, Idaho, and Montana. Having worked alongside many RNW staff over the years, I know firsthand the expertise and passion the organization brings to legislative, regulatory, and policy proceedings throughout the Northwest. RNW’s mission is to advocate for the expansion of environmentally responsible renewable energy resources in the Northwest through collaboration with government, industry, utilities, customers, and advocacy groups.
My appointment to the Board of Directors proved to be quite timely, as I was able to almost immediately attend the organization’s annual retreat on October 11-12 at Surfsand Resort in Cannon Beach, Oregon. Retreat attendees gathered from far and wide across the Northwest for the productive, two-day event that gave me great insight into the structure and management of the organization. A membership-based non-profit, RNW’s membership base is comprised of larger industry representatives, small-scale renewable energy developers, environmental NGOs, and customer advocacy groups. RNW is truly an organization that takes the guidance, insight, and concerns of its members to heart. Over the two day event, I had the opportunity to engage with fellow Board members on critical issues at a Board meeting related to the future of the organization, hear firsthand experiences and ongoing processes that RNW is engaged in throughout the region, and see how thoughtfully RNW considers the ideas and concerns of its members.
I also had the opportunity to interact in a professional setting with RNW’s new Executive Director, Nicole Hughes, and get to know her better on a personal level. I was thoroughly impressed with Nicole’s ability to meaningfully engage RNW’s diverse membership base on a number of important and difficult issues in order to distill a clear vision for the organization’s needs going forward. Nicole brings a wealth of experience to the position, having worked for some of the country’s leading renewable energy companies as well as Bonneville Power Administration. As the energy sector continues to navigate what it means to provide the flexible, clean, affordable power that customers want and regulations demand, I believe Nicole is incredibly well situated to lead RNW in its continued presence as an impactful stakeholder.
I look forward to rolling up my sleeves and continuing to help RNW achieve its goals through my engagement on the Board of Directors. We are approaching a critical inflection point in the energy sector as regulation and policy strive to keep pace with accelerating technologies and shifting customer preferences in an era where mitigating the harmful impacts of climate change is paramount. I am hopeful that my experience at CUB will enable me to make a strong and lasting impact to the leadership at RNW.
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10/26/18 | 0 Comments | Staff Attorney Mike Goetz Joins Renewable Northwest Board of Directors