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Power Hour

Please check back for our Power Hour 2023 dates.

Power Hour is an educational series hosted by our Energy Program team that takes a deep-dive into various topics every other month (i.e. Community solar, Path to Net Zero, and Smart Meters).

During this time, Power Hour events are 1-hour virtual events and we look forward to meeting again in-person in the future! We still bring you experts to ignite new conversations in Central Oregon and you will still get to engage in robust Q&A sessions!

Power Hour events are free, but please register in advance.

March-July 2022: Homegrown Renewables Series

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’ll dig into questions such as: What do these projects look like on the ground? What are the environmental impacts? Are there funding opportunities? 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.

Since we are not the only community navigating renewable energy and energy planning conversations right now we are collaborating with Sustainable Northwest and their Making Energy Work coalition to expand this conversation across rural Oregon so that we can learn from more communities engaging in this impactful work right now.

2022 Homegrown Renewables

Watch the event recordings below for a deeper dive into each topic and a rich discussion with our 2022 speakers.

Past Virtual Power Hour Events

November 2021 | Other Side of the Hill

Where can East & West, Republicans & Democrats, find the common ground needed to address climate change? How can industry and environmentalists work hand in hand? And how can local economies find opportunity in a lower emissions future?

OTHER SIDE OF THE HILL explores the impacts of a changing climate in rural Eastern Oregon as seen through the eyes of local leaders on the ground. From innovative timber operations to large scale solar, this film amplifies the voices of rural communities often left unheard, and
shines a light on stories of progress and hope. In a time of perceived cultural divide between rural and urban, left and right, young and old, we discover common ground in an urgency to address a changing landscape.

Watch the panel discussion with Jim Walls and Nick Johnson who were featured in the film for their work at Lake County Resources Initiative, plus Deschutes County Commissioner Phil Chang.

September 2021 | Can I afford an electric vehicle?

The Environmental Center’s electric vehicle expert Neil Baunsgard shares a presentation busting the myths of electric vehicle affordability. He goes into the details of the Oregon EV rebate program, federal tax credits, as well as discounts and used EV options to show how your next car could be electric! He covers the advancements in Oregon that can provide $5,000 off a used EV or up to $15k off a new EV for qualifying households!

February 2021 | Community Solar: A path to Solar for all

Oregon’s Community Solar program finally has projects coming online this year! Through this program, you can subscribe to off-site solar projects that are producing clean energy right here in Oregon and get the benefit on your Pacific Power utility bill, regardless of whether you rent or own or live in an apartment or single-family home. If you’ve been interested in producing clean, solar energy but have been left out of receiving the benefits of solar because you can’t afford the up-front cost, don’t own your home, or don’t get enough sunshine on your roof, then this program is for you! Additionally, income-eligible households can save up to 20% off the cost of their electricity.

Febrero | Community Solar: Un camino hacia la energía solar para todos

¡El programa Community Solar de Oregon está empezando! Community solar permite a los participantes beneficiarse de la energía solar sin instalar paneles en su propio techo. Las personas, las empresas y las organizaciones pueden formar parte de grandes sistemas solares externos y ver los ahorros de costos directamente en su factura de electricidad actual de Pacific Power.

Esta oportunidad permite a los hogares que no han podido obtener paneles solares en su techo, como inquilinos y los que viven en residencias multi-familiares, invertir en energía limpia y renovable sin ser propietario de su casa o tener que pagar costos iniciales. Además, los hogares con ingresos elegibles pueden ahorrar hasta un 20% del costo de la electricidad.

December 2020 | Home Energy Score: What's in a score and why do we need them?

August 2020 | Is Efficiency the Key to Affordable Housing?

When it comes to affordable homeownership, Bend-Redmond Habitat for Humanity knows how to get it done. With 150 homes built (and counting), our community relies on their organization and volunteers to fill an important need for affordable homeownership. Kor Community Land Trust, a new non-profit to the scene, is also working to address the need for stable and permanently affordable housing. Both non-profits have committed to providing zero energy homes–that is, homes that produce as much energy as they use–with no utility bills.

Why zero energy? Because it means their families can reliably count on stable housing costs, even as utility costs continue to increase. Because it means healthier indoor air quality. And because the homes will be more durable and need fewer repairs over the life of the home.

Spoiler alert–zero energy homes might just be the missing link to creating more affordable housing for our entire community. Join us to hear the whole story from Jacob Clark, Director of Construction with Bend-Redmond Habitat for Humanity, and Amy Warren, Executive Director, Kor Community Land Trust. They will show us how their homeownership programs are changing lives and why zero energy is a crucial piece of their missions.

June 2020 | Zero Energy Homes: Better for business, better for living

As home dwellers and home buyers, we want a space that shelter us that keeps us safe and warm. But the reality is, most of our homes are doing a poor job of these basic functions and many of us don’t even know that “better” exists. A zero energy home is the best in all of these categories–and so many more–not just for those who dwell in them, but for the companies that break the mold and build them.

CR Herro has helped Meritage Homes set the industry standard for energy efficiency and has completely shattered the myth that zero energy homes aren’t profitable for production builders or affordable for homebuyers. They are the first national production builder to offer zero energy homes, and now thousands of projects later, CR is on a mission to help consumers and the building industry demand more and set a new standard of innovation and quality.

CR will break down what’s missing in Bend, who our key incluencers and stakeholders are, and describe tangile solutions for developing zero energy housing. This presentation is for those who want to see more affordable and healthy homes in our community. For those who develop properties, design, build, sell, appraise, and insure homes. For policy makers who want to ensure the well-being of their community. For homebuyers who know they want better and those who want the best possible home but don’t know what that means just yet.

We will be live streaming this presentation with the opportunity to ask questions and engage during the event! We will email out the link in the days leading up to the event.

Meet our speaker:
CR Herro, VP of Innovation, Meritage Homes.
CR has a 25-year history of successful industry disruption and new business development for multi-billion dollar construction industries. In 2009, CR joined Meritage Homes as the Vice President of Innovation, where he leads initiatives for performance, materials, and process for High Production Residential Building. Meritage prides itself on “setting the standard for energy-efficient homes ” and is credited as the first home builder to achieve 100% certification to the US EPA’s Energy Star for Homes, the first builder to certify all three US EPA best building practices (Energy Star, Indoor airPLUS, and WaterSense), and the first national production builder to offer Zero Energy Homes. Meritage Homes is the recipient of numerous awards, including NAHB’s EnergyValue Housing Award, Best Green Building Program, Builder of the Year , the 2010 US EPA’s ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year , and Sustained Excellence Awards recognizing ongoing leadership from 2012 through 2019.