Make the Switch to Green Energy

These are the comments we've received so far by email...

"Been there, done that.  We have been buying green power since it became available.  I'd like to see a better way, but its a good start."

"A lot of my friends encouraged me to join PacPower green energy program. I did not. Saved $ and put in my own 2.5KW system in April last year. Cost a lot but now we are producing year around the electric power we use throught the year. Need to turn off my computer as a thunder storm is closing in."

"Probably a good idea.  I signed up when they started the program.  You can sign up incrementally.  I'm paying for a certain amount at green cost.  It would be wonderful to also get folks putting up home wind and solar."

"I own my own wind turbine and so generate my own electricity as well as send the excess along the grid. So, yes I am conscientious and am using green energy."

While wind and green power sound good, is it really? Is the right way to do wind to let the mega-corporate world be in charge? Is it really green when the amount of materials to build the structures, the hydraulic fluids used in them, the transportation to site, the destruction of the local area, road building, maintenance, wildlife impact, and local human disruption are taken into account? Do we need the new high volume power lines across the Blues and near La Grande that will take this wind power to Idaho? Wouldn't the tax breaks given to these companies be better served by keeping it local, by weatherizing homes and buildings (La Grande High School has single pane glass), encouraging local power projects where individuals can sell back to the power company, and encouraging less power use, instead of just looking for more. Let's have a rational discussion about this, not just jump because somebody says it is green. I'm disappointed that ORA has not taken more of a stand on this, seeming to have just jumped on the "green" wagon.

Thanks a lot for your thoughtful comments, Kevin. You raise some excellent points for all of us to consider as energy consumers and we hope that this will spur good discussion online and offline. This is obviously a tough issue that a lot of people are wrestling with.

As you know, in Oregon Rural Action's community organizing model the members decide what issues to work on and what positions to take. The ORA Energy Team chose to offer this call to action on green power, seeing it as an opportunity for individuals to take a small step that demonstrates the demand for clean energy, which will then help us all in working with our local utilities to improve the mix of small-scale renewable energy.

When you and other Oregon Rural Action members developed and voted on the energy position in 2001, you designed it to help shift us away from fossil fuels towards renewables with an emphasis on conservation and efficiency, local determination in new energy project development, and small, local distributed projects as much as possible. I'd invite you to take a look at the Energy Policy Position again, since it incorporates some of the thoughts you've raised: http://oregonrural.org/[…]/energy-policy-position Regarding the proposed Antelope Ridge Wind Farm, the members are very divided in their opinions. Because the Energy Team can't come to consensus on this particular issue the members have decided not to let it divide them and to focus their energy (no pun intended) on addressing the root causes that lead to these significant energy questions.

To that end - as informed by the ORA Energy Policy position - the bulk of ORA's energy work has focused on more than just green energy generation and has emphasized that individuals should have a say in energy policy. This alert is only one part of that overall strategy. That's why we've written stories on energy conservation and efficiency (Furrow, Spring-Summer 2009, http://oregonrural.org/files/ORASpring-Summer2009.pdf), sent action alerts about community scale energy (http://oregonrural.org/take[…]y-wind-your-comments-needed), put on solar workshops for homeowners and businesses (http://oregonrural.org/[…]/eastern-oregon-solar-fair), and helped to create and support the Union County Alternative Energy Committee. We'll be putting out a fact sheet and other information on Feed-In Tariffs for the promotion of small-scale local projects and sustainable development of biofuels locally soon. We're also hoping to address the problems with investment in what amounts to a rigged energy system by bringing John Fullerton of the Capital Institute (http://www.capitalinstitute.org/) to offer the keynote in our Annual Gathering on October 9 and to help us strategize on local investment solutions. (More info on that to come soon.)

The members have expressed an interest in showing what we're for, supporting a proactive energy policy vision and not having our energy future decided for us. Overall the members have chosen a multi-pronged approach. That's why we organize. If it merely seems that ORA is jumping on the green band wagon, then we need to do a better job of communicating the positions the members have outlined. We'll work on that.

I'd liked to invite you to attend our next Energy Team meeting on September 2nd (http://oregonrural.org/events/energy-team-meeting). Members will be looking at energy conservation possibilities in local schools and I think you'd have some great thoughts to contribute. We need more community champions everywhere for energy conservation and efficiency! Finally, the Blue Mt Chapter organizer, Nella Parks, will be contacting you about getting together so that she can discuss these difficult issues with you further.

Thanks again for your input. Your active support and engagement in these issues as a member of ORA is much appreciated.