Yesterday, as with almost every other weekend, a do-gooder knocked on our door with a clipboard. I guess it goes hand-in-hand with living in Portland. Sometimes I drop to the floor and hide against an outside wall so they cannot tell I’m home. There is no explaining my reaction to unexpected guests, it just freaks me out. But yesterday we were outside trimming trees in the front yard, so there was no hiding from her. The woman and her clipboard were with Blue Sky Renewable Energy and looking for people to contribute a little more per month to ensure that clean energy projects would be supported in the greater Northwest. By generating demand for clean energy, we not only make it more prevalent in the marketplace, but reduce costs for others, hopefully creating a domino effect of more subscribers and more clean energy. We have been thinking of doing this for years, sometimes it takes a little nudge to do the right thing.
Oregon’s Existing Generation Mix
Oregon ranks third in the region for installed capacity of renewable energy, behind California and Washington. However, renewables account for less than 1% of the state’s total energy mix. Renewable energy development has picked up in recent years with the construction of four commercial wind farms and the expansion of biomass energy production (see chart, left).
What is Renewable Energy?
Renewable energy generates electricity with little or no emissions by effectively using resources that can replenish themselves naturally – in other words, they won’t run out. The natural resources that are used in the Blue Sky program include wind and solar. Another category of renewable energy is biomass. Biomass includes organic matter and other wastes used to generate electricity. Common sources of biomass electricity supported by the Blue Sky program include burning both sawdust at lumber mills and methane produced at landfills.
Renewable energy is important for many reasons, including:
- Less impact on the environment than non-renewable sources
- Lower levels of air pollutants and wastewater
- Reduced greenhouse gas emissions
- Reduced reliance on imported and domestic fossil fuels
- Boost to local economies through job creation and investments in local renewable energy projects
Where does this energy come from?
Renewable energy associated with the Blue Sky program comes from newly developed wind and other renewable sources in the region. Check out where is the Energy created.
What will your impact be?
Our household paying an extra $6-12/month will help the environment in the ways shown below. To see how much impact you can have, use this Environmental Benefits Calculator.
There are currently more than 69,000 customers participating in the Blue Sky program across the company’s service area making a real difference. By making a choice to enroll in the Blue Sky renewable energy program, customers are not only helping to grow the renewable energy supply, they also are advancing the construction of new smaller-scale, community-based projects that might not otherwise be built. Several projects have been completed and a number of others are being developed.
Sign up before she comes with her clipboard in hand!
Here’s some pics from a summer trip to the Maryhill Museum and The Stonehenge Memorial where we ran into wind farms on both sides of the Columbia River.
I live in Portland and I have to agree I am always hiding from these do-gooders
I finally had to put a sign on my door telling them to stay away and that I do not want any of their free brochures or items. Got so tired of 3-5 people per day knocking to get my signature – give me windows – get my contribution for their cause.
Don’t get me wrong I know we need better environmental power and what not but I am already giving to who I wish to give to and don’t need to give more in my humble opinion.