Tag: renewable 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.

USDA Grants PPPM $100K

Posted on by Ashley Adelman

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Renewable Energy for America Program (REAP) awarded the University of Oregon $100,000 for its Rural Energy Development for Oregon program proposal. The grant was the largest given out of the $1 million dispersed across 17 states and Puerto Rico.

The UO applied to the grant through Resource Assistance for Rural Environments (RARE), Oregon’s AmeriCorps program, housed in the Institute for Policy Research and Engagement (IPRE) in the School of Planning, Public Policy and Management (PPPM).

With the grant, RARE will partner with the Seattle nonprofit Spark Northwest and rural small businesses, farmers, and agricultural producers throughout the state to increase renewable energy generation. (See map of proposed sites below.)

Map of Oregon sites“Over 24 months, RARE and Spark Northwest will work together to evaluate renewable energy opportunities and provide renewable energy development assistance directly to rural small businesses, farms, agritourism operators, and agriculture producers across the state,” RARE outlined in its grant application. “The project will provide education to engage with at least 150 farmers and small businesses about energy opportunities, provide project-specific consultations for at least 40 of these entities, and shepherd at least 20 energy projects successfully through the development phase.”

Read more about the grant program in the Capital Press article, “USDA grants to help farms, businesses cut energy costs.”

Originally published by University of Oregon College of Design

PROGRESS: Arts And Eats Expand Across The County

Posted on by Ashley Adelman

UMATILLA COUNTY — Across Umatilla County, restaurants and arts events are popping up to add a little spice to life.

OMG! Burgers & Brew in Pendleton recently celebrated its first birthday.

Soon after, the Pendleton Downtown Association presented owner Rodney Burt with its 2019 Best Restaurant/Bar/Tavern Award. With a menu that includes the Gouda for You Burger and the Pendleton Whisky Burger, the Main Street brewpub is fast becoming a favorite with locals. Burt proudly notes that all their beef is locally sourced and never frozen, and the buns are baked fresh four doors down.

“Things are going great,” he said. “We’ve expanded into the building next door and doubled our capacity. Now we can host big parties for up to 125 people.”

Next, OMG has an eye on possible new locations in Hermiston, Walla Walla, and the Tri-Cities area.

If hot dogs are more your style, River Dawgs opened its doors this spring in Umatilla, with artfully prepared, extra long dogs and more toppings than you can fit in a bun. Those who’d like to try are welcome to build their own creations with everything from jalapeños to cream cheese.

Just up the road, Rae’s Dayz Diner & Cakery is hitting its stride after just over a year in business. The no-frills eatery offers old-fashioned comfort food like fried chicken, fish & chips, and prime rib. Customers in need of a custom cake can tap the skills of owner Raelynn Gallegos.

For a taste of Asian cuisine, Shiki Hibachi Sushi has been serving Hermiston for a little more than a year. Adventurous diners can try the unagi (eel) or uni (sea urchin), while novices may prefer a more familiar California roll and miso soup. And don’t forget the mango mochi ice cream for dessert.

On the music scene, the latest new venue in Pendleton is an old one: The Lodge.

After purchasing and partially refurbishing the former Elks Lodge, Lance Leonnig kicked off a monthly concert series, “Live From the Leslie,” in April in the roomy performance space upstairs. Slated bands cover a country-folk-R&B-rock mix of genres.

A sizeable grant in May from the Pendleton Downtown Association and Oregon Heritage will allow further renovation to be done, including a second stage and a future restaurant on the lower level.

“It’s a big beast but all of us involved fell in love with the building,” said partner Adam Mack.

Eventually, he said, the downstairs Stag Bar “will be open five days a week, and we want music on that stage every weekend.”

On the coattails of the highly successful Whisky Fest, Pendleton has launched another major music event this summer: The Jackalope Jamboree is set for June 29 in the Happy Canyon Arena. The daylong event features smaller regional bands on two stages — and more affordable tickets.

In downtown Hermiston, the festival street completed a year ago next to city hall is now seeing a lot of use. Creating the urban renewal district was a major step, said Main Street program coordinator Darin Foster, with the addition of planters, trees, and sidewalks that transition seamlessly to street.

“It was designed to make it a lot more pedestrian-friendly and easier to close off for events,” he said.

This year the festival street becomes the site of Hermiston’s first Summer Series. Six events, hosted monthly, will include wine and beer tasting at Cork & Barrel on June 29 and and the Spud Fest on July 13, with a carnival and vendor booths.

A few blocks to the west, the 4,600-square-foot Maxwell Pavilion saw completion in March. The new venue opened with the first annual Maxfest Craft Beer Festival, and the Maxwell Farmers Market wasted no time shifting to the new location in May.

The market runs every Thursday from 4-8 p.m., with live music starting at 5 p.m.

Originally published in the Eastern Oregonian

Pendleton Considers Urban Renewal Program For Blighted Homes

Posted on by Ashley Adelman

PENDLETON — The Pendleton Development Commission could soon get into the home improvement business.

On behalf of the commission, Kaitlyn Cook, an associate from the University of Oregon’s Resource Assistance for Rural Environments program, studied downtown blight and presented the results at a commission meeting on Tuesday.

Cook said she did the study so that the commission, which is comprised of members of the Pendleton City Council, would better understand the issue of blight while members consider how to move the urban renewal district forward during the last four years of its lifespan.

“I’m not a structural engineer,” she said. “I looked at the buildings and looked at determinators of blight.”

Cook studied every structure from Southeast Sixth Street to Southwest Sixth Street, Umatilla River to railroad, and graded them on a 900 point scale.

She assessed the buildings based on nine qualities of blight, including peeling paint, yard maintenance issues, and structural problems.

Based on her scores, she determined that there were 52 blighted buildings in the downtown area, 25 of them residential.

Although city officials have long been critical of absentee landlords and banks who let their properties fall into disrepair, only a little more than half of the blighted structures were renter occupied.

The development commission’s advisory committee has been exploring how the urban renewal district could take a greater role in housing, said Charles Denight, the commission’s associate director.

They’ve been busy crafting a proposal to improve the urban renewal district’s existing stock while still filling an unmet need.

Denight said the Greater Eastern Oregon Development Corp. and Community Action Program of East Central Oregon already offer housing renovation programs, but they’re more focused on paying for projects that will improve the health or safety of a homeowner.

Additionally, previous city programs like Restore Pendleton would make a financial effort to fix up a home, only to see it fall back into disrepair.

To avoid duplication or previous pitfalls, the advisory committee is considering a five-year forgivable loan program that can be applied toward external renovations.

Under the program, homeowners would be able to give their houses a facelift on the commission’s dime, as long as they can pass a series of inspections.

With each passed inspection, the homeowner would get 20% of their loan forgiven. If the owner passes all inspections after five years, they owe nothing.

Denight said the program could also be available to renters, but they likely wouldn’t be able to access a fully forgivable loan.

If the commission moved forward with the loan idea, it wouldn’t lack the funds to sponsor it.

If they relied on tax revenue alone, the urban renewal district could spend another $5.9 million on projects. But if they decided to access their full line of credit, that number expands to $33.5 million.

Originally published in the Eastern Oregonian

Free LED Light Bulbs Offered In Talent

Posted on by Ashley Adelman

Talent residents can get up to 16 energy-saving LED light bulbs installed at no cost under a joint program by the city of Talent and Rogue Climate that runs through the end of May. Low-flow shower heads and faucet aerators also are available.

Bulbs and plumbing devices are funded by a 3% state of Oregon charge attached to utility bills for reinvestment into energy-efficient projects.

As of Monday, the team had worked in 44 houses and changed out 526 LED bulbs, 21 aerators and 10 shower heads. The program, which began in April, aims for installations in 100 homes, said Michael Hoch, program coordinator for the city.

“There’s always some concern on how the program is working. When you explain that (the residents) are actually paying for it, they are very appreciative of what we are doing,” said Hoch. “Talent citizens are very concerned about energy consumption and usage.”

Judy Finses and her husband, Jim, along with neighbors Jill and Don Miller, make up one of the volunteer installation teams. The couples first practiced on their own homes in April.

“You’re supposed to save up to $10 per year per bulb,” said Judy Finses. “Each bulb costs around $4. You can get up to 16 bulbs. That’s a huge savings.”

Her team worked initially in Oak Valley, a development off West Valley View Road for residents 55 and older. They’ve also worked in another retirement community.

“Sometimes the color is too bright, so they haven’t wanted them in a certain areas,” said Finses. Almost every home she had been involved with has taken the full 16 bulbs available, although some homes already had LEDs in some fixtures, she added.

In 2017 Rogue Climate ran the program on its own. That year the nonprofit installed 1,094 bulbs in 114 homes. Bend is the only other city in Oregon that has done a similar program, Hoch said. Funding for the hardware comes from Pacific Power and Avista through fees on customer bills.

Over the lifetime of the installations, $70,786 in savings is projected, said Hoch. LED lights are estimated to have a 22- to 25-year lifespan. Aerators and shower heads are expected to last 10 to 15 years.

“We decided to reinstate it this year because Rogue Climate helped pay for part of the costs,” he said. The group donated funds for program administration and volunteer coordination. They also bought all the tools and materials, including plumbers’ tape, pliers and light bulb extractors for vaulted ceilings. Six volunteers are working in outreach and 10 are doing installations and other work.

Two types of light bulbs are available, lamp style and recessed can bulbs. They are tested for compatibility with dimmer switches. Specialty bulbs are not offered.

Hoch is an intern with AmeriCorps Resource Assistance for Rural Environments working for the city of Talent through the University of Oregon. The city has allocated a portion of his time to help Rogue Climate run the program. During his 11-month tenure, Hoch has focused on energy management. He does energy consumption analysis, energy education and research on renewable energy alternatives in Talent.

A group of Talent residents, along with city officials, created a Clean Energy Action Plan for the city to help transition to 100 percent clean energy. One goal of the plan is to reduce Talent’s energy use by 30 percent.

The teams do installations by appointment during the week. On Saturdays, usually two or three teams will knock on doors to see whether residents want the devices. They can perform the work then or schedule it for another time.

The program is available only to Talent residents. A shower head and faucet aerators are available for Avista natural gas customers. Residents can call 541-236-5038 to schedule an appointment or set it up online by going to www.rogueclimate.org/bulbs.

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

Originally published in the Mail Tribune