Tag: Clean Energy

Renewable energy gives economies a jump-start

Posted on by Ashley Adelman

by Lorrie Kaplan for the Ashland Tidings

Tired of hyper-partisanship and worried about the ability of Americans to communicate with each other across party lines? Concerned that half the country seems to deny climate change, while the other half sees a looming climate disaster?

A new independent film offers a glimmer of hope.

In October, nearly 80 Ashlanders enjoyed a Zoom screening of “Other Side of the Hill.” Produced by James Parker of Synchronous Pictures, it’s a beautiful and compassionate film that defies the narrative that conservative Eastern Oregon is ignoring climate change.

From large-scale solar and geothermal in Lakeview to innovative timber and wind energy operations in Wallowa County, the film shows how renewable energy projects are taking off in Eastern Oregon, providing skilled jobs and substantial county tax revenues — nearly $1 million to Lake County alone in 2020.

The screening was hosted by the Ashland Climate Action Project and Southern Oregon Climate Action Now, partnering with Local Innovation Works, Climate Reality Project-Southwestern Oregon Chapter, the Geos Institute, McCloud Watershed Council, Pollinator Project Rogue Valley, Rogue Community College Earth Club, Southern Oregon Pachamama Alliance, Sustainable Rogue Valley, and Sustainability at Southern Oregon University.

“Other Side of the Hill” was the inspiration of climate activists Julian Bell of Ashland, Deb Evans and Ron Schaaf of the Greensprings, and Tom Bowerman of Lane County. Bell recalls his own wake-up call moment.

“I went to Portland for the release of Naomi Klein’s book, “This Changes Everything: Capitalism vs. The Climate.” People at the event were saying that Eastern Oregon is the problem, that nothing is going on there.

“But Eastern Oregon is doing its part,” said Bell.

He decided it was important to help get the story out, especially after the 2019 state legislative session ended in a Republican walkout to block passage of “cap and invest” legislation.

Located just east of Klamath County, Lake County (population 7,879) is ideal territory for renewable projects. Much of the land is not suitable for grazing or agriculture. Solar resources and geothermal energy reserves are abundant. High-voltage power lines run through the county to connect Oregon and California, making it easy to upload power to the grid.

“The demise of the timber industry put us in major peril,” explains Nick Johnson, executive director of Lake County Resources Initiative, a nonprofit working to weave together economic and environmental prosperity for Lake County.

Today the county has 110 megawatts of solar generating capacity (enough to power more than 14,000 Oregon homes, according to industry experts). The county has approved additional projects that will more than double its capacity, and other projects are still in review. Lakeview produces far more renewable energy than the county consumes, and it is on track to offset all of its livestock methane emissions. Lake County Resources Initiative also assists homes, ranches, businesses, schools and other public buildings to reduce energy costs using rooftop solar — saving an estimated $9 million over a decade, according to LCRI.

According to Juliet Grable, a Greensprings-based writer who worked on the film, just because Eastern Oregonians “don’t talk about climate change in the same way doesn’t mean they don’t see it happening or that they don’t care about the environment or the planet.”

We all care about providing for our families.

“Everybody speaks the language of money, and we’ve had a lot of success by speaking that language,” says Johnson. “Renewable energy generates tax revenues for the county. We know that people also care about the ecological benefits. ”

Bell, Schaaf and Johnson believe that Oregonians can work together and are intrigued by the idea of an ongoing dialogue or partnership between Ashland and Lakeview.

“The time is now — right now. Because this is just the beginning of renewable energy development,” says Johnson.

“What we need are like-minded people,” Schaaf asserts. “Like-minded means you’re going to stay in the conversation. It means you want to help find a solution, not win an argument.”

In January, ACAP will host a second screening of “Other Side of the Hill” featuring a discussion on the art of collaborative conversation. Stay tuned for details or contact us to receive occasional emails about local climate action news and events. Check out the film trailer at othersideofthehillmovie.com.

Lorrie Kaplan is chair of the Ashland Climate Action Project of Southern Oregon Climate Action Now. She can be reached at ACAPSpotlight@socan.eco.

Originally published in The Ashland Tidings

Renewable Energy Is A Benefit To Everyone

Posted on by Ashley Adelman

by Tina Buttell

Sometimes we forget that we’re all in the same boat. Despite our differences, we all prefer clean air and water, safe homes, good jobs, convenient transportation, and we mostly don’t even disagree about climate. We want livable futures for our children, abundant crops, lush forests and recreation opportunities.

Unfortunately, some organizations pit us against each other by exacerbating perceived differences. The Cascade Policy Institute, one of about 160 right-wing think tanks under the SPN umbrella, is one such organization in our area. SPN is a deceptive acronym for State Policy Network, which makes it sound local. It is not. It’s a nationally funded membership group of extremists in the Republican Party that pretends to support low-income, rural folks but is closely aligned with wealthy, corporate business interests, including the fossil-fuel industry. They are known for union busting, voter suppression, climate denial, expanded law enforcement and are associated with ALEC, a notorious ultra-conservative lobby.

Another detractor from our common good is J.P. Morgan Chase Bank that invested over $67 billion between 2016 and 2018 in environmentally destructive tar sands, ocean drilling, LNG (liquid natural gas) and coal. Bank of America and Wells Fargo are right up there too, with more than $39 billion and $35 billion respectively, in oil and gas during the same time. Whether you drive a Tesla or a large pickup truck, where you save and invest, and which credit card you carry, may matter more.

Meanwhile, there are some hopeful examples of constructive collaboration. Rural Development Initiatives, a nonprofit based in Eugene, assists communities to create jobs, connect to financial opportunities and coordinate value chain projects such as the Cottage Grove “Food Hub” and the Garibaldi “Fisheries Hub,” to generate long-term community wealth and economic vitality. Their goal is to shift rural economies away from inequitable extraction of resources and towards a collective, inclusive vision of the future.

A frequent argument against Timber Unity and allies is that “they don’t get it.” This isn’t really true. They are resisting taxation and other changes because they do “get” the threat of rapid, impending change to their way of life. The climate justice movement needs to ease the transition to sustainable industries and lifestyles for those most at risk for loss. In contrast, a frequent complaint against environmentalists is that Oregon’s carbon emissions are too small to matter. Oregon is small in size but is a significant global model for land-use policy, forestry, livable cities, ecotourism and more. Just as each vote counts, each person’s carbon footprint adds up and sets an example. The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.

An interesting new Clackamas County-Americorps partnership is the RARE program — Resource Assistance for Rural Environments — which will focus on local solar projects and carbon-emission reduction. The Urban Rural Ambassadors Summer Institute between students in La Grande and Portland is yet one more example of a collaborative vision for the future, involving a summer student exchange program with discussions of shared goals, as well as appreciation of differences.

We all can benefit from the transition to renewable energy. Besides contributing to a cleaner, cooler environment, renewables will become more prevalent and affordable even as oil and gas prices continue to rise. Rural communities are earning income from solar and wind farms, and PGE is scheduled to shut down its coal-fueled Boardman plant very soon, closing Oregon’s era of coal-generated electricity.

There are rarely simple solutions to complex problems, but together we can keep our boat afloat. As said by Abraham Lincoln, “We can succeed only by concert. It is not ‘can any of us imagine better,’ but ‘can we all do better?'”

Tina Buettell has lived in rural and suburban Clackamas County for 44 years.

Originally published in Clackamas Review.

Talent Plans To Drop Fossil Fuels

Posted on by Ashley Adelman

Talent Energy Efficiency Coordinator Michael Hoch is busy these days answering questions about the city’s clean energy action plan. In November Talent became the first city in Oregon to include such a document in its city’s comprehensive plan, a set of guidelines for development required by state law.

Hoch’s research has found no other city in Oregon that has a clean energy plan as an element of its comprehensive plan. Rianna Koppel, a citizen who helped create the plan, reported her research found the same.

“Several cities and counties have contacted me directly,” said Hoch. They are seeking everything from basic nuts and bolts information on how the plan got created and incorporated … to more detailed information.

While in Klamath Falls Friday for a training session, Hoch met with residents there who are interested in getting clean energy components into their comprehensive plans.

Besides Klamath Falls, Hoch has received inquiries from cities in the Columbia Gorge, including Hood River, and from the Mid-Columbia Economic Development District, which includes three Oregon and two Washington counties.

Among plan goals for Talent is achievement of 100% independence from fossil fuel sources by 2030 to help combat climate change.

City Council unanimously passed an ordinance Nov. 20 that amended the comprehensive plan to include the clean energy element. Talent’s Planning Commission had recommended adopting the element.

With support from Rogue Climate, a group of Talent residents started work on the plan following an October 2015 envisioning workshop. Volunteers worked for more than 1,000 hours to create a plan that became Talent Clean Energy Action Plan 2018-2030.

“When we started this plan, a big focus was climate change … and to step away from fossil fuels and come up with a plan B or C,” said Ray Sanchez-Pescodor, who participated in the plan development from the start. “We also wanted it to make common sense financially. The suggestions we are making make good financial sense, some in the short term and especially in the longterm.”

The element is a basis for policy and not policy itself, said Community Development Director Zac Moody. But it spells out potential implementation strategies in a number of areas, including transportation, housing, energy efficiency, conservation, city facilities, education, the economy, infrastructure and energy generation.

While work was done for plan adoption, the city and groups also focused on acquiring clean energy installations for Talent. That has included solar panels for the Community Center, an EV charging station and work with Oregon Clean Power Cooperative, which led to $149,000 in grants for solar installations at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival production building, Jackson County Fire District No. 5 headquarters and the downtown civic center campus.

The latest clean energy upgrade for the city will bring four EV charging stations to city-owned property behind Camelot Theatre on Seiber Street. Pacific Power awarded a grant of up to $10,000 to assist with the project. While the city will purchase and install the stations, they will be operated by a commercial charging company.

Hoch helps coordinate the energy projects and is involved in other efficiency efforts, such as a LED light bulb give away that took place last spring. He monitors energy consumption and reports that energy use in city facilities is on track to achieve a 30% reduction in use by 2020 compared to 2015.

One element of the plan calls for a feasibility analysis on a transition from the current investor-owned utility model to a consumer-owned or community choice aggregation model. During the public hearing, Pacific Power General Business Manager Christina Kruger voiced concerns about that language.

“Pacific Power assets in this community are not for sale,” said Kruger. She said the firm applauds many parts of the plan and that some of the implementing strategies would require partnerships with Pacific Power and other entities such as Energy Trust of Oregon, with whom they work. She asked that language on creation of a city utility be dropped from the plan.

Council members and Mayor Darby Ayers-Flood said that feasibility studies would be conducted prior to any decision on changing utility providers, but that it could create competition where none exists.

“It sort of lifts us out of the monopoly situation we are in and creates an opportunity for us that may motivate us all to work in a partnership way we haven’t before,” said Ayers-Flood.

Reach Ashland freelance writer Tony Boom at tboomwriter@gmail.com.

Originally published in The Mail Tribune