Looking into the Future of Energy

Last week I had the pleasure of attending once again the Future Energy Conference, one of two conferences held annual here in Portland and up in Seattle. The conference is a wonderful opportunity to bring together folks from all aspects of the energy sector, discussing policy, business, and sharing insights.

At last year’s conference, Governor John Kitzhaber announced his vision of a 10-year energy plan, and this year he followed up on that announcement during his lunchtime keynote on Wednesday. The Governor… Full Post >>

Are Electric Vehicles Truly Cleaner?

CLIMATE IMPACT

A report released by the Union of Concerned Scientists puts to rest a question that has been dogging the electric vehicle industry and causing consumers to doubt the environmental benefits of electrical vehicles (EVs): are the greenhouse gas emissions of an EV actually lower than a conventional car using gasoline fuel? This question stems from the concern that because electric vehicles are plugging in to our nation’s electrical grid to charge and, on average, 45% of the electricity on our nation’s grid… Full Post >>

Tracking Your Way to Energy Savings

Many utilities across the country, including a few in Oregon, have finished installing new smart meters on customer homes and businesses within their respective service territories.  For those of you who may not know, smart meters allow for two-way communication between the meter and the utility through a secure network.  This means that if you’re a customer of a utility that’s utilizing smart meters, your meter is read every few minutes rather than once a month (or longer) as with the previous analog meters.

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Reflecting on the Consumer Movement

I recently visited our nation’s capital for the annual consumer assembly of the Consumer Federation of America. The weather was beautiful, the cherry blossoms were emerging, and national leaders on consumer issues gathered in a hotel basement to discuss the most pressing issues that consumers, advocates, and policymakers are facing.

March 13th, the second day of the conference, marked the 50th Anniversary of John F. Kennedy’s Consumer Bill of Rights . This was landmark ruling that brought the consumer movement to… Full Post >>

What’s “App-ening”: Phone and Web Applications for Electric Vehicle Owners Looking to Re-Charge

With nearly a million smart phone applications out there, there is an “app” (and probably several versions of it) for everything you can imagine. Need help managing your time? There’s an app for that. Want something fun to do on the bus ride to work? Try out a game app. Tired of forgetting what to get at the grocery store? Get a shopping list app. This app craze has been embraced by the electric vehicle community as well, with… Full Post >>

CUB and Environmental Allies Speak Out about Electric Vehicle Policy

Today the Portland Tribune published an opinion piece written by CUB and several of our environmental partners.  In the piece, Oregon’s Renewable Energy Guides State to Prosperity: Policies Plug into Electric Vehicle Future, we emphasize the importance of creating intelligent policies on electric vehicles, in order to maximize the environmental benefits of this exciting technology and address consumers’ concerns and needs.  We broadly describe several key policies, supporting renewable energy integration and consumer interests, and emphasize the need for public… Full Post >>

Powering Our Future by Engaging Our Students

Over the last three weeks I’ve had the amazing opportunity to speak with students at the McLoughlin and Alki Middle Schools in Vancouver, Washington. In partnership with the youth mentoring organization nConnect, I headed north of our Oregon border to talk about renewable power, energy efficiency, and the Smart Grid with some smart and engaged middle schoolers.

nConnect’s mission is to enhance the learning experience of students and inspire their interest and achievement in the STEM fields (science, technology, engineering, and… Full Post >>

Going Green at the 2012 International Portland Auto Show

The Portland International Auto Show , held on January 26-29, 2012, displayed the automobile industry’s newest and most popular car models. CUB Utility Analyst Gordon Feighner and I had the opportunity to attend the opening night of the show and participate in a special preview of the “Eco” section. A floor above the main show area, the ECO Center, which displayed approximately 40 “environmentally-friendly” vehicles that are certified as low- to no-emissions. Jeff Cogen, Multnomah County Chair, and Charlie Allcock, Director of… Full Post >>

Tax Credits for Energy Efficiency

Did you make energy efficiency improvements to your home in 2011? Did you buy any new energy efficient appliances through the Energy Trust of Oregon or other incentive programs? If you did either of these, you may qualify for tax credits on both the federal and state level.

For products purchased in 2011, to receive a federal tax credit you can file IRS form 5695 and enter the tax credit amount on line 52 of your 1040 form. Form 5695 must be… Full Post >>

EV Roadmap 4: Reflections on a Gathering of EV Advocates

President Obama issued a bold challenge to the nation in his 2011 State of the Union address.  After emphasizing the nation’s dangerous dependence on foreign oil and the ruinous impact of climate change, Obama called for the deployment of 1 million electric vehicles by 2015.  Our president understands that, by utilizing locally-produced electricity (particularly if this is renewable power) and producing no direct emissions, electric vehicles can drastically transform our transportation system.

With a struggling economy and low consumer… Full Post >>

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