Public Policy
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Q-and-A: Paul Israel shines a light on solar
The Oregon Solar Energy Industry Association has a new member president, and, by all accounts, he’s ready to make his mark. Sunlight Solar Energy owner Paul Israel will oversee the 32-year-old group…
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OLCV rakes in the bucks during 'Ecoprom'
The Oregon League of Conservation Voters so-called "Ecoprom" last Friday landed the lobbying group more good will from its supporters along with a boatload of freshly raised funds. The event, which is…
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Is Portland getting left in the dust? A young sustainability professional’s take
I am part of a new professional development program at Portland State University’s Institute for Sustainable Solutions (ISS). The program is designed to give recent graduates like me the opportunity…
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Furman wants Portland and Oregon to give Greenbrier reasons to stick around
In discussing why he’s laying off at least 200 workers and moving another 50 out of Portland proper, Greenbrier Cos. CEO Bill Furman insists he’s not seeking retention-related incentives. Still, Furman’s…
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Gallery: OEN/Drive Oregon's PubTalk on electric vehicles
Each month, the Oregon Entrepreneurs Network hosts a compelling event called, quite simply, PubTalk. Along with the requisite networking opportunities, the gatherings feature discussions with up-and-comers…
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From brown to green: Portland launches clean-up loan program
After more than a year of planning and strategizing, a fund to help clean Portland brownfields is in loan-issuing mode. The Portland Brownfield Revolving Loan Fund issued $130,000 to clean contaminated…
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The Oregon Resilience Plan: A call to expand the sustainability conversation
Resilience and sustainability are not the same, but they have a lot in common. Resilience tends to be concerned with the capacity to withstand and recover from disasters, both natural and human-caused. Both…
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Winning the cups: Ore. Convention, Expo centers go compostable
The agency that oversees several Portland-area environmental initiatives is making several visitor attractions it operates more environmentally sound. The Oregon Convention Center, the Portland Expo Center…
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EVs: Ensuring ‘The Opportunity to Charge’
In 1983, Oregon passed the landmark “Opportunity to Recycle Act” that ensured every Oregonian would have the opportunity to recycle easily at their curbside. In the 30 years since then, Oregonians…
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Fuel fight revs up in Salem
Environmental groups and biofuel companies would love to see Oregon become the second state in the nation after California to implement “clean fuel” standards. Business group Associated Oregon Industries…
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New Mexico may repeal its biodiesel mandate
In 2006, the New Mexico Legislature passed a bill requiring that every gallon of diesel fuel sold in the state contain 5 percent biodiesel, a type of renewable energy. The measure was supposed to take…
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League of Conservation Voters gives Merkley's record an A+
The League of Conservation Voters released the 2012 National Environmental Scorecard Wednesday, scoring the voting records of Washington politicians during the second session of the 112th Congress. Oregon…
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Texas renewable energy advocates face tough season
Renewable energy advocates are bracing this session to defend critical policies that have helped Texas become the leading wind-power state, the Texas Tribune reports. The ascendancy of the Tea Party,…
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Milestone eastern Oregon water agreement signed
Oregon Gov. John Kitzhaber and groups from Washington and Oregon working together under the banner of the Columbia River Umatilla Solutions task force put their signatures Friday to an agreement that outlines…
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Q&A: Merkley on green jobs subcommittee's powerful Oregon tie
Earlier this week the office of Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., announced that he'd been appointed chairman of a Senate subcommittee focused on green jobs and the clean economy. In a statement, Merkley said…
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Merkley to chair green jobs subcommittee
Oregon Sen. Jeff Merkley announced Tuesday he will chair the Green Jobs and the New Economy Subcommittee created out of the Senate committee for the environment and public works. The subcommittee will…
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Bans remove 350 million plastic bags from waste stream
Environment Oregon is estimating that citywide bans on plastic bags in Portland, Corvallis and Eugene will eliminate a whopping 350 million plastic bags per year from the waste stream. Environment Oregon,…
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Has REI shaped Jewel's views on climate change?
Tree hugger? Or exploiter of the nation’s precious natural resources? There’s lots of intrigue over what kind of Interior Secretary Sally Jewell will be now that she has been nominated by President…
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Oregon energy loan program under scrutiny
A powerful lawmaker wants the Legislature to investigate a popular state loan program that recently made headlines for a series of bad loans, including a loan to ReVolt Technology, a battery technology…
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Clean fuel backers seek Oregon program extension
Proponents of Oregon's Clean Fuels Program cosponsored an event in Salem Wednesday with Drive Oregon that brought a troupe of electric vehicles to the Capitol in Salem. On the heels of a report on Oregon's…
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Obama may call for tougher rules on emissions
President Barack Obama in next week’s State of the Union speech will lay out a renewed effort to combat climate change that is expected to include using his authority to curb emissions from existing…
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REI CEO Sally Jewel tapped as interior secretary
Some people go to REI for hiking boots; President Barack Obama went there for a new Interior secretary. Obama today announced that Sally Jewell, CEO of outdoor gear and apparel retailer Recreational Equipment…
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Portland council set to approve rebate program for commercial efficiency upgrades
Portland City Council is expected to vote next week to approve a rebate offering — called Bucks for Buildings — designed to help small businesses make energy efficiency improvements. Starting this…
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Plastic bag ban could include a fee for paper bags
Lawmakers and environmentalists are reviving an effort to ban plastic bags in Oregon, and while the details remain undecided, one thing is clear: Grocers would far prefer a bill that includes a five-cent…
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Murkowski taps Super Bowl blackout as parable for energy policy
You want to keep the lights on — whether it's at the Super Bowl or as a principle for our nation's energy policy. That thought occurred to Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, last night as she watched the…
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