Author: kward2

The PLAYA 23 Statewide Rural Energy Convening Brought Together Rural Energy Stakeholders from Across the State

Posted on by kward2

On April 19th, 2023, a network of rural energy stakeholders from across Oregon gathered in Lake County, Oregon, at the PLAYA Center on Summer Lake, for the second annual Statewide Rural Energy Convening.

PLAYA, as the event is often referred to, is a unique multi-day opportunity for non-profit organizations, federal and state agencies, utilities, and landowners to connect in a remote, distraction-free environment to discuss and strategize on overcoming barriers and advancing opportunities for rural community energy development.

The event, which was co-hosted by Lake County Resources Initiative (LCRI), Sustainable Northwest (SNW), the RARE Americorps Program, Wy’East RC&D, and USDA Rural Development, had roughly 30 people from various organizations participating. The relatively small number of attendees allowed each individual to participate actively during the various workshops, personal story-telling activities, and lively panel discussions. This event and network are made possible by Energy Trust of Oregon and a USDA Rural Energy Development Assistance (REDA) grant that aims to fund renewable energy technical assistance for agricultural producers and rural small businesses.

As the country moves rapidly to transition to a clean energy future and take advantage of the unprecedented funding opportunities introduced in the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), convening to discuss rural energy needs has never been more important. Rural communities have been historically underrepresented in energy transition conversations and overburdened by energy costs. The PLAYA attendees, collaborating with their affiliated organizations, aim to develop a statewide, coordinated rural energy network that is customer-focused and results-driven. This includes developing effective strategies to ensure rural communities can access their fair share of the incoming federal funding.

The conversations, ideas, and connections that PLAYA cultivates are unparalleled due to the unique, off-the-grid nature of the event. The PLAYA center, which is located in the high desert region of the state right on the edge of Summer Lake – an alkali lake with breathtaking views and vast wildlife activity, offers little to no cell service and very limited wifi. This environment allows attendees to dive deeper into each conversation, collaborate more efficiently, and work together to formulate effective strategies for overcoming barriers to funding, capacity, and information gaps.

Top-level themes that were discussed included:

  • Due to capacity constraints of organizations and agencies, the influx in federal funding is not only an opportunity but also a challenge

  • Rural communities (landowners/customers) require more technical assistance when navigating energy incentives, grant applications, and project technical assistance

  • Further resource-sharing and collaboration across the rural energy network is crucial to properly assist rural energy customers.

As PLAYA concluded, it was increasingly clear that there is a monumental amount of work to be done to ensure community energy development prioritizes the needs of rural communities. Fortunately, it was even more evident that the strong, diverse, statewide network that gathered at PLAYA was equipped with the skills and resources to create a clean energy future that elevates rural voices and priorities.

For more information, contact

Faith Yorba

SNW Energy Program Associate

fyorba@sustainablenorthwest.org

Learn more about SNW’s Energy Program, the Making Energy Work Coalition, and our work in Rural Electrification.

This article first appeared on Sustainable Northwest’s site and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.

Financial Support Available for 2023-24 RARE AmeriCorps Host Sites!

Posted on by kward2

The RARE AmeriCorps Program is a firm believer in the power of partnerships. We deeply value the reciprocity and support provided by each of our statewide partners. We strive to create catalytic change across rural Oregon, and our generous partners ensure we have the tools and resources to make that happen. One such partner is The Ford Family Foundation, who is committed to offering financial support to help offset the cost of hosting a RARE AmeriCorps member.

The Ford Family Foundation prides itself on empowering Oregonians to become catalysts of change and stalwarts of sustainability outside of the state’s urban strongholds. The organization’s ideology is simple, yet dynamic: “We believe in the power of rural communities. Communities create the conditions that allow children and families to thrive. Communities are the backbone of our democracy. We believe that a community works best when it works for all its members, especially for those who are disadvantaged or excluded due to poverty, race/ethnicity, and geography. Our investments provide rural communities with the tools and capacities they need to build a vital future for themselves – a future where every resident can thrive.”

Without The Ford Family Foundation’s support, many local government departments, NGOs, and economic development entities across the state would not be positioned to partner with the RARE AC Program. Please visit the Funding Opportunities section of our website to learn out more about the financial support available via The Ford Family Foundation.

RARE AmeriCorps Member Applications for 2023-2024 Now Available!

Posted on by kward2

Are you interested in community building, natural resources, food security, natural hazard planning, economic development or land use planning? If so, you should consider applying to serve as a Resource Assistance for Rural Environments (RARE) AmeriCorps member.

2023-2024 RARE AmeriCorps member applications are now available!

For more information about the RARE AmeriCorps application process please visit the Application Process section of our website.

To access the 2023-2024 RARE AmeriCorps member application, click here.

If you have questions about the application process or about the RARE AmeriCorps Program, please contact RARE Program Coordinator Victoria Binning at rare@uoregon.edu or 541-632-3147.

UO programs bolstered by $16M in Build Back Better funds

Posted on by kward2
September 2, 2022 – 11:14am

Researchers at the University of Oregon will receive more than $16 million in federal funds as part of a major government grant to the Oregon Mass Timber Coalition from the Build Back Better Regional Challenge.

The U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration has awarded the coalition a total of $41.4 million, with $24.6 million going to the TallWood Design Institute, a collaboration between the UO and Oregon State University to support Oregon’s mass timber industry. OSU will receive $8 million.

Of the UO funds, $14.6 million will go toward the Oregon Acoustic Research Laboratory and $2 million is destined for affordable housing prototyping using mass timber, an application that uses solid wood panels that are prefabricated using digital workflows. Both programs are part of the College of Design and contribute to the institute.

“The UO and OSU, through the TallWood Design Institute, have been essential to the development of the modern mass timber industry in Oregon through our research and development,” said UO architecture professor Judith Sheine, design director for the institute. “Combined with the funding that will support smart forestry research, a new fire testing facility, and modular mass timber housing testing at OSU, and UO’s acoustic research lab and prototypes for affordable housing and retrofits, we will continue to advance our R&D work into the future to provide benefits for Oregonians.”

In addition to the UO and OSU, the Oregon Mass Timber Coalition includes the Port of Portland, Business Oregon, the Oregon Department of Land Conservation and Development, and the Oregon Department of Forestry.

“This grant will provide a tremendous lift to the TallWood Design Institute, which already leverages the expertise and collaboration of researchers at the University of Oregon and Oregon State University,” said Patrick Phillips, interim president of the UO. “It will also benefit the entire state of Oregon, driving innovation and helping to increase our housing supply in a sustainable way.”

Over time, the funds will contribute to employment growth in construction, manufacturing and sustainable logging, while helping develop energy- and seismic-resilient mass timber for affordable housing.

“I think we’ve been enormously effective in jumpstarting and advancing these mass timber industries in Oregon, but there’s still a huge amount of work to be done and enormous opportunity,” Sheine said.

Affordable housing prototyping

Sheine’s research focuses on using mass timber in the construction of affordable housing that provides energy and seismic resilience while sequestering carbon through its use of wood products. The grant will fund prototypes to prove the viability of constructing small, affordable, single-family homes as well as building and retrofitting multistory and multifamily dwellings.

High-performance testing

The Oregon Acoustic Research Laboratory will be a world-class, state-of-the-art facility designed for high-performance and high-throughput testing for sound-dampening products and construction methods.

“Floor and ceiling acoustics have become a hurdle to increasing the uptake of mass timber structural systems in multistory, multifamily housing,” said Kevin Van Den Wymelenberg, architecture professor and director of the Institute for Health in the Built Environment. “We’re trying to help mass timber find its way into multistory, multifamily housing and reduce sound transmission between units. And you need to test it before you can build it.”

The laboratory will be the first of its kind at a university in North America and among the most advanced in the world. It will be able to test for low- and high-frequency sound transmission and designed for the needs of both university researchers and private sector testing.

“This will also open opportunities for research and technology transfer both in the mass timber space and acoustics space for the university and our students,” Van Den Wymelenberg said.

The lab, which was approved by the UO Board of Trustees in 2019, would be housed at the Port of Portland’s Terminal 2 site.

The Build Back Better funds are meant to bolster and rejuvenate Oregon’s timber industry, contributing to timber manufacturing job creation in rural counties that have seen employment declines over the past half century. They also will be used to start forest restoration projects to improve resilience, reduce wildfire risk, and provide a sustainable supply for mass timber production.

—By Jim Murez, University Communications