Renewable Energy

Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek on Monday signed an executive order that seeks to fast-track permitting and siting for renewable energy projects so developers can take advantage of federal tax credits.

Mazama Energy along with its partners are hoping to tap into an uncommon energy source that could help Oregon and the rest of the region meet its renewable energy goals — Super Hot Rocks.

Irene Gilbert is a 76-year-old retired state employee on a mission, fighting energy projects like large wind farms in Oregon’s rural communities. Renewable energy advocates treat activists like her as gadflies who should be stopped.

The Oregon Department of Energy awarded Chemeketa Community College more than $600,000 to increase its renewable energy workforce.

The Oregon Department of Energy’s Energy Workforce Training program will fund training programs to support renewable energy jobs and train people in energy efficiency installations. It's part of the state’s effort to lower overall greenhouse gas emissions.

Lane County signed a contract with Eugene-based Bulk Handling Systems to create a state-of-the-art recycling center unlike any other in Oregon. It will sort garbage and comingled recycling and produce methane from the organic waste, generating renewable natural gas. According to the county, it will be ​“the most technologically advanced waste processing facility in the country.”

Portland General Electric produced gigawatt of wind energy on a single day earlier this year, after the company acquired the renewable resource from an eastern Montana wind farm.

The Bonneville Power Administration is proposing 13 new projects that would strengthen and increase energy capacity in the Pacific Northwest as electricity demands rise.

At least one company is no longer interested in bidding on a chance to develop a floating offshore wind project off the Southern Oregon coast, and others may also have backed out.

With the climate rapidly changing, researchers are trying to find ways to make clean energy developments less expensive and easier to build. For the Northwest, offshore wind power could play a critical role, but it also presents major challenges.