Power Hour | Homegrown Renewables: Woody Biomass

Central Oregon can and should be a leader in the local generation of renewable energy. We have rich resources to explore here in our backyard. As the community embarks on discussions around creating an energy plan for Deschutes County and as the City of Bend explores local generation opportunities to meet renewable energy goals laid out in the Community Climate Action Plan, now is the time for us to come together and learn about the resources that are available in our community. This series will explore homegrown opportunities to produce renewable energy. 

We will kick off this event by learning about Oregon’s new green tariff program and how it could help us meet local renewable energy goals, then we’ll explore the City of Prineville’s proposed 24 MW woody biomass energy generation project and hear about resources to get biomass projects started and learn about other ways to utilize woody biomass. We have a lot to cover but don’t worry, we will give you plenty of time for Q&A with our expert panel! 

These events are meant to be exploratory and not necessarily answer which sources of energy are the best for each community. Rather, we want to see communities engage in robust dialogue about what is available so that when it comes to making energy plans, we all have some foundational knowledge to work from.

Agenda

5:00 – 5:30 – In-person event: Doors open, grab a beer/drink, find a seat

5:30-7:00 – Virtual and In-person event: Presentation and panel discussion

Register for the in-person event

Register to attend virtually

Meet our Speakers and Panelists

Eric Klann, City Engineer and Public Works Director, City of Prineville. Eric has become known for his commitment to bettering the Prineville community through the forward-thinking projects which have been completed under his leadership including the award-winning Crooked River Wetlands Complex and the Aquifer Storage and Recovery Project. Due to these types of pioneering projects, the City of Prineville is well-positioned to accommodate significant economic development and residential growth for decades to come. In addition to his role as City Engineer, Eric leads a team of fifteen people in the Public Works Department. He holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering, a P.E. in Civil Engineering, and spent seven years as a sawmill Engineering/Maintenance Manager prior to his now 14-year tenure with the City of Prineville. 

Joshua Reed, Project Manager – Renewables, Energy Trust of Oregon. Energy Trust is an independent nonprofit established to administer the public purpose charge funds from Oregon’s investor-owned utilities and help deliver clean, affordable energy to those utilities’ ratepayers. He works with the “Other Renewables” team, which supports the development and installation of non-solar renewable energy projects. They provide incentives for qualified hydropower, biopower (biogas/biomass), geothermal electricity, and municipal-owned community wind power projects.

Dylan Kruse, Vice President, Sustainable Northwest. Dylan is responsible for state and federal legislative activity and agency engagement and represents Sustainable Northwest’s broad market and public policy priorities. He is also coordinator of the Western Juniper Alliance, a 50-member partnership to accomplish rangeland restoration, produce sustainable wood products, and create jobs in juniper supply and market chains along the West Coast. In addition, he is the organization’s bioenergy lead and works on wood biomass utilization and energy projects across the Northwest. Dylan serves on the board of the Biomass Thermal Energy Council, holds a seat on the steering committee of the National Rural Assembly, and sits on the Leadership Team of the Rural Voices for Conservation Coalition. Before joining Sustainable Northwest, he attended Lewis & Clark College in Portland, OR, and received a B.A. in International Affairs.

Meagan Hartman, VP & Director of Business Development, Wisewood Energy. Meagan came upon wood energy at the confluence of her interests nearly a decade ago. After cutting her teeth on all aspects of biomass projects, origination through operations, Meagan now leads business development across the American West for Wisewood. Wisewood Energy outfits communities, businesses, and industrial partners with biomass energy systems that strengthen local economies, lower heating costs, and promote environmental stewardship.

Register for the in-person event

Register to attend virtually