Purchasing Green Power for Your Home

Did you know that around 40 percent of the electricity used by residents of Northwest still comes from the burning of non-renewable fossil fuels like coal and gas? Creating this electricity is a major cause of air pollution, habitat destruction, carbon dioxide emissions, and more. Traditional sources of creating electricity also have the unfortunate side effects of releasing pollutants that have been shown to harm human health, contribute to global warming, and damage our native ecosystems.

So what can you do as a ‘utility ratepayer’ to make a positive difference? One thing is to look at buying green power from your utility provider. Buying green power for your home makes a lot of sense, not only from an environmental perspective, but also for economic reasons.

Many local utilities offer “green power” options when powering your home. Using green power means that your energy dollars are supporting innovation, healthier choices, and clean energy instead of high-impact hydropower coal, gas and nuclear plants. Our regional environment, economy and human health all benefit investments like these.

The change is not so dramatic as you might think. Our part of the world is filled with massive renewable resource potential. The Pacific Northwest’s beautiful and varied scenery is indicative of varied climate zones and changing geology. Combining the solar, wind and geothermal resources available, there is enough potential to meet around 40 percent of the current electricity needs for our area. As technology improves, continual improvements will further reduce costs and expand the renewable resources available to area households.

Furthermore, investing in renewables has a positive effect on the economy of the Northwest. It’s not a coincidence that some of the world’s biggest producers of renewables such as solar panels and photovoltaic technology, wind turbines, and geothermal energy are located in Washington and Oregon.

Many leading green technology and energy firms are based in Washington and Oregon. What’s more, there is an ongoing push for investment by venture capitalists in this green energy movement, both around the globe and here in the Pacific Northwest. That means more money, more jobs, and a cleaner environment right here where we live. So by investing here, we’re keeping more money at home instead of sending it out of state – or out of the country – just to pay for fossil fuels.

The following utilities all offer green power to customers in their service area. Contact them to find out more about the benefits of switching to green power today.

• Central Electric Cooperative
  Deschutes, Crook, Jefferson, Grant, Linn, Wasco and Lake counties, OR, (541) 389-1980

• City of Ashland, Ashland, OR, 866-BEF-TAGS (866-233-8247)

• Clark Public Utilities, SW Washington, 360-992-3000

• Columbia River PUD, Columbia county, OR, (503) 397-0590

• Consumer's Power, Benton, Lincoln, Lane, Linn, Polk, and Marion counties, OR, 541-929-3124 or 800-872-9036

• Douglas Electric Cooperative, Douglas, Lane, and Coos Counties, OR, 1-800-233-2733

• Emerald People's Utility District (EPUD), Eugene, OR, (541) 746-1583

• Eugene Water & Electric Board, Eugene, OR, 800-841-5871

• Midstate Electric Cooperative Lazy River, LaPine, Crescent, Gilchrist, Chemult, LaPine, Fort Rock, Christmas Valley, and Sunriver, OR, (800) 722-7219

• Pacific Power, Service throughout Oregon, Tri-Cities, Washington and western states, (800) 769-3717

• PGE, Portland, OR, (503) 228-6322 or (800) 542-8818
• Oregon Trail Electric Co-op, Eastern Oregon, (541) 523-3616
• Umatilla Electric Cooperative, (NE Oregon), 1-800-452-2273