OPB’s First Look: A quiet solution to Oregon’s energy crisis

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Good morning, Northwest.

Oregon has been pushing energy efficiency upgrades for decades.

OPB’s Monica Samayoa starts today’s newsletter with a look at how small improvements made by homeowners, schools, businesses and more have accounted for enormous energy savings over time.

Also this morning, security footage shows from a distance the East Portland Border Patrol shooting, and Eugene protesters respond to criticism from President Trump.

Here’s your First Look at Tuesday’s news.

—Bradley W. Parks

How energy efficiency upgrades are inching Oregon closer to its climate goals

The Pacific Northwest’s electrical grid is strained by aging transmission lines and energy-hungry data centers, while renewable energy sources like wind and solar farms are slow to come online.

This is all happening at a time when the federal government has rescinded hundreds of millions of dollars previously allocated to the renewable energy transition.

That’s left little help for states to alleviate pressure on the power grid.

But there is a quieter solution that’s playing out across the region. It’s an energy efficiency policy that Oregon has been pushing for decades. (Monica Samayoa)

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3 things to know this morning

• Security footage released yesterday shows from a distance when Border Patrol shot two people in an East Portland parking lot earlier this year. (Troy Brynelson and Conrad Wilson)
• Portland city officials are looking at bureaucratic sanctions within their control to limit the actions of federal agents against protesters. (Alex Zielinski)
• Today is the last day Washington voters should mail in ballots for this month’s special election in order for them to be postmarked in time to count. Voters can drop ballots in official drop boxes any time before Feb. 10 at 8 p.m. (Erik Neumann)

Headlines from around the Northwest

• West Linn doctor’s sexual abuse trial canceled as last defendant settles (Holly Bartholomew)
• Relative describes inadequate food, water for Gresham family detained in Texas (Holly Bartholomew)
• Eugene protesters react to comments from Trump, Kotek and local officials (Julia Boboc)
• Oregon Democrats float plan to reclaim state money lost to Trump tax cut bill (Dirk VanderHart)
• On first day of session, Oregon lawmakers consider measure to protect victims of domestic violence (Lauren Dake)
• Portland Trail Blazers’ Deni Avdija is named an NBA All-Star (Anne M. Peterson)

Listen in on OPB’s daily conversation

“Think Out Loud” airs at noon and 8 p.m. weekdays on OPB Radio, opb.org and the OPB News app. Today’s planned topics (subject to change):

• How Eugene’s mayor is tackling housing, public safety and other priorities one year into office

Stumptown Fil predicts 6 more weeks of winter

Here in the Beaver State, Oregonians prefer to get the furcast from a different source: our very own Filbert the beaver, better known as Stumptown Fil.

And Fil has predicted six more weeks of winter.

“Here in the Pacific Northwest, we’re beaver believers,” said Ali Azevedo, a keeper in the Oregon Zoo’s North America section. “Groundhogs are great, but they don’t create wetlands or manage branches the way beavers do.” (Joey Lovato and Sukhjot Sal)

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