Jennifer and Lance Barker have been energy self-sufficient in their home or,
as Jennifer says, "off the grid" since 1981. They live on 40 acres
of forestland near Seneca, Ore.
All of their energy comes from solar panels and a wood stove for cooking. They
think that’s important for a couple of reasons. They’re committed
to renewable energy (solar) because of concerns about climate change they believe
is caused by global warming and its effect on agriculture. They also believe
in a lifestyle based on reduced consumption. "Our philosophy is, why consume
more than you need?" said Jennifer Barker.
The Barkers’ approach to energy consumption is simple, but it is effective
in that it addresses the major energy sustainability issues facing Oregon today—energy
conservation, adoption of renewable energy resources and concerns about global
warming.
Although the Pacific North- west has enjoyed sufficient supplies of electrical
energy from hydroelectric sources over the past several decades, Oregon energy
planners have placed major emphasis on sustainability issues for many years.
In 1975 state government adopted in statute a policy that it would henceforth
be a goal of Oregon to promote the efficient use of energy and develop permanently
sustainable energy resources.
The Oregon Office of Energy has attempted to carry out that policy by putting
in place many energy sustainability initiatives. Here are some examples.
According to Sam Sadler, energy analyst for the Oregon Office of Energy, energy
conservation programs have been a top priority.
"This agency has been putting out the energy conservation message consistently
for more than 25 years," he said. "Of course, people may be more receptive
when there is an energy shortage."
In recent years the Oregon Office of Energy has helped Oregonians conserve energy
through programs that offer tax credits for residences and businesses. Tax credits
for purchasing energy-efficient appliances have been very popular recently.
Utilities offer cash rebates for weatherization and heating improvements in
homes.
Energy tax credits and loans are also available to Oregonians who want to use
renewable energy sources. These include solar collection panels that turn sunlight
into electricity stored in batteries, and wind power generated from wind driven
electrical turbines. The Oregon Office of Energy also offers loans and business
tax credits to Oregon businesses for development of renewable energy such as
biomass and geothermal sources of energy.
Biomass is organic plant material. All such material contains solar energy that
is converted into plant tissue by the process of photosynthesis. An example
of biomass energy is the biofuel ethanol, which is made from feed-grains such
as corn. Ethanol, when used in combination with gasoline, reduces harmful air
emissions, although it may not help reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Geothermal energy is usually in the form of subterranean reservoirs of heated
water (300–700 degrees Fahrenheit). Depending on the location, it is sometimes
possible to tap into these reservoirs and use the energy in the water to heat
buildings.
In addition to the Oregon Office of Energy, many other groups are working toward
energy sustainability in Oregon. A nonprofit organization called The Renewable
Northwest Project promotes the development of renewable energy.
"The goal of RNP is to promote wind, solar and geothermal resources in
the Pacific Northwest," said Rachel Shimshak, director. There is tremendous
potential for these renewables throughout the region, she said.
RNP works with public and private utilities to encourage development of renewable
energy and conducts public awareness projects to let power consumers know about
the benefits of renewable, or green, energy resources.
"Public and private utilities invest in power resources on behalf of their
customers," said Shimshak. "The utilities are cost-conscious and are
more interested in energy sources that have cheaper development costs.
"Our message is that renewable resources may have greater start-up costs,
but they are cheaper over the long term," Shimshak said. "Interest
in renewables has grown in recent years because the cost of renewable energy
sources is becoming more competitive with the cost of traditional energy sources
like hydroelectric power and power from natural gas- and coal-fired generating
plants."
Shimshak noted that the development of wind power is now receiving a lot of
interest from public and private utilities in the Pacific Northwest. She added
that some Oregon power utilities have taken an important step toward energy
sustainability by offering consumers a "green" energy choice.
"Several power utilities in Oregon, Washington, Idaho and Montana are now
offering their customers the option of buying power generated from wind, solar,
geothermal and low-impact hydropower sources," said Shimshak. "Offering
this choice gives the public an opportunity to vote for clean, renewable energy
with their pocketbooks."
Sadler agrees that development of renewable energy resources is an important
component of energy sustainability, but added that Oregon has done a lot to
make the state’s more traditional power generating facilities more sustainable
as well. One such effort is the Energy Facility Siting Council established in
1975 by the Oregon Legislature.
Large energy-generating facilities are likely to remain in place for a long
time and may have a great impact on public health and safety and the environment,
Sadler explained. To ensure safety and efficiency, all proposals for construction
of new energy generating facilities must be reviewed and approved by the Energy
Facility Siting Council, he said.
Responding to concerns about global warming, in 1997 the Oregon Legislature
gave the Energy Facility Siting Council responsibility to enforce carbon
dioxide (CO2) emission standards for energy-generating facilities. Carbon
dioxide is a greenhouse gas.
According to Oregon Office of Energy estimates, carbon dioxide emissions for
Oregon were 55.3 million tons in 1990. The agency forecasts that these emissions
will increase by almost 18 million tons to 73.1 million tons in 2015, an increase
of 32 percent.
"There are several ways the carbon dioxide standard can be met," said
Sadler.
The approach that developers have used is to build very efficient plants and
to use a provision that allows energy facilities to pay a unit cost for the
amount of CO2 they release in excess of the limit. Developers can also meet
offset requirements by financing energy efficiency and renewable energy projects,
or projects to reduce CO2 in the environment such as planting trees to sequester
carbon from the atmosphere.
Oregon is one of two states in the United States to have a CO2 emissions standard,
and this has helped Oregon earn a reputation as a leader in energy sustainability.
Perhaps the biggest problem facing Oregon’s energy sector now is an expected
energy shortage this winter. To help ease the problem, the Oregon Legislature
has created exemptions for temporary energy facilities from siting standards,
other than the CO2 standard.
"We expect that several new temporary natural gas-fired power generation
plants will be built in Oregon this year," said Sadler. "We obviously
need these facilities for our short-term energy needs, but we want to make sure
we don’t harm any of our long-term sustainability goals while we meet those
needs.
"For the next couple of years it’s likely that energy supplies in
the Northwest will be tight," Sadler said.