Talking Oregon Transportation Funding on Think Out Loud
On Monday, May 18th, OPB’s Think Out Loud hosted a conversation about a comprehensive transportation package to increase funding for roads and bridges. Though this has received bipartisan support for quite some time, things came to a halt when some lawmakers started using the recently passed Clean Fuels bill as a bargaining chip for the package.
OEC’s Program Director of Climate, Jana Gastellum, joins Ryan Deckert, president and CEO of the Oregon Business Association, to talk about the transportation package and what it means for our state.
Unsure What To Say?Here are some points to keep in mind: Climate change is a crisis and it’s already here. Oregon needs the most ambitious cap and reduce program possible to take responsibility for our st
A widespread transition to electric vehicles (EVs) is an important piece of Oregon’s long-term environmental goals. Our dominantly gas-dependent transportation system currently accounts for 35% of the state’s total greenhouse gas emissions, making it Oregon’s largest source of climate pollution and a major contributor to air pollution. With the continually rising costs of fuel and vehicle maintenance, we’re left wit
Oregon’s wildfire situation has gone from bad to worse.Just a few days into August, this year has officially set the record for most acres burned in a single Oregon wildfire season. We’re cur
Oregon’s wildfire season is off to an early and dangerous start. Already, dozens of wildfires have burned nearly 2 million acres – more than four times last year’s total. At least 24,000 Oregonians are currently under some level of evacuation notice. Families across the state a
Ten years ago, OEC championed a bold step toward a cleaner future. The Clean Fuels Program was built on an elegant, yet transformative idea: Reward cleaner transportation fuels, encourage industry innovation, and reduce climate pollution from the state’s biggest emissions sources.Despite significant hurdles, the program has been a resounding success at the ten-year m
On May 18th, the Oregon Clean Grid Collaborative (OCGC) hosted the Clean Grid Summit in Salem, bringing together more than 100 attendees, including representatives from 13 legislative offices, to discuss the future of Oregon’s electric grid and the policies needed to support a reliable, affordable, and clean energy future. Through three panels, speakers explored the competing priorities shaping energy policy, the r
In a landmark moment for Oregon ratepayers, last week the Oregon Public Utility Commission enacted new rules protecting Portland General Electric (PGE) customers from rate increases stemming from data centers. Represented by Green Energy Institute, OEC joined other consumer advocates to influence this decision.
By creating a new customer category for data centers, PGE can now more accurately track their energy usage and charge them accordingly. The new rules put guardrails in place
When we filed a federal lawsuit against the IRS in December, we knew we weren’t alone in the fight for clean, affordable energy. And now, states across the country voiced their support, with Oregon leading the way. On February 20, Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield led a coalition of 16 state attorneys general in filing an
