HORRAY! This might be an area that I'm actually in agreement with all y'all libs. on! I am a BIG proponent of renewable energy, esepecially solar and wind. Personally I buy all my electric as renewable even though it costs $10-15 more a month. I think if more of this type of development goes on it will be a crown jewel for our great State. Keep it up.

Greg T: You might also like terrarossa.com. It's a Republican-run, pro-clean energy site by Carter Eskew, Bush's former communications director. Given the importance to our economy and national security, energy independence should truly be a bi-partisan issue.

http://www.solarworld.de/sw-eng/presse-adhoc/index.php

"The federal state of Oregon will support these investments with funds from its Anti-Global-Warming-Program."

Horray!

http://www.climateark.org/shared/reader/welcome.aspx?linkID=70138

"The state of Oregon will make 25-50 percent of the investments through its anti-global-warming program, Chief Executive Frank Asbeck told Reuters."

25-50 percent? huh,, Ok horray

Hey Jeff, Are you "having an odd sense of deja vu reading this post"

You did here. http://www.blueoregon.com/2006/07/biotech_beer_an.html

"State officials denied our request under a law that allows Genentech to declare that the information is confidential until all negotiations with the state are completed. , this company-imposed blackout, we don't know how many of those possible jobs will come from Oregon's labor pool and how many will be Genentech transfers. ,the Governor won't tell us exactly how he's going to spend our tax and lottery funds, or what Genentech is promising to provide in return. That makes it hard to applaud the deal. Eventually, Oregon's Public Records Law will allow us to see whether Governor Kulongoski made a bargain that included an enforceable job commitment from Genentech."

Chuck, did you get the info?

That plant in Hillsboro will go well with Metro's plan for more housing in the Damascus.

(Planners never seem to get it right, but they will next time)

Thanks JK

Why doesn't the COP mandate all MDUs be retrofitted with solar electric and solar water heating units? Maybe they can get a good deal from this company relocating to Oregon since their already getting fat government subsidies. Just a thought.... I think they need to put some teeth in their so-called "sustainability" programs or they will start to lose credit. I feel that this, like many things, is just window dressing dog and pony shows to so the liberals can make themselves "feel good". I do agree that green and environmental causes are worthy goals and have even take steps myself to reduce my carbon footprint and not drive around so much. But I feel like they haven't rewarded me for my choice and are making it difficult for me to afford the concept of "sustainability" in this overpriced slum. I take issue with initatives being FORCED upon the general populace. Take for instance the issue of gay marriage. I think equal and fair treatment of everyone is an important cause but society just isn't ready to accept this with open arms quite yet. What Multnomah County did by granting marriage licenses was a big slap in the face to society who isn't quite ready for the concept. It took many (thousands of years) for civilized society to stop the practice of slavery and forbidding women to vote. The other disparities aren't going to change overnight and it shouldn't be foiste upon people before they're ready. So there you have it, do I really sound Republican after all? I don't think so. But I'm not so-called "progressive" either.

Promoting our state's economic development and helping us lead on solar. All the more reason to look into solar for yourself or your business: the Solar Now program. The State, the Energy Trust & Feds are doing a lot so it makes sense moneywise. GT, you said you didn't feel like you are being rewarded for being more sustainable - I think there are some programs that you should look into & see if they fit with your tax situation, etc. -Jennifer

Disclosure: I work for Portland's Office of Sustainable Development, and it's our job to educate about renewables.

The above article is interesting. However, Oregon has dragged its feet in funding and promoting an existing form of energy efficient transport: passenger rail travel, the Amtrak Cascades line. Washington funds more trains and promotes the system more (for instance, I believe WS.DOT funds and maintains the Amtrak Cascades website), and, because OR hasn't worked on funding more train runs, it's difficult (if not impossible) to use Amtrak Cascades to go south on the train in the am, return north in the pm (for example, if you wanted to travel from Salem in the morning, spend the day in Eugene, return to Salem that evening). That's true even though I-5 is increasingly congested. And forget trying to work w/smaller lines on, say, re-establishing passenger rail on a line going out towards the coast. Yet all summer long, 101, 18, are congested and it gets worse every year, whether or not gas prices increase. The supposed "drive your car" state, California, heavily subsidizes rail travel on 3 separate lines--and now gets 50% of the cost back through fares, not to mention the decrease in pollution. Portland, Eugene, Salem, all have train stations that are either in their downtowns or are on the buslines. It makes sense to push and fund passenger rail travel--so why isn't Oregon? Why can't the Amtrak Cascades or a connecting train (other then the Coast Starlight), go further south, say to Roseburg? And if someone's going to say, CA only gets 50% back, that's why--passenger rail is too expensive, ask yourself how much the state and federal gov't get back (in cash payment/fares) for building and maintaining interstate, state, and county road systems, subsidizing airports, paying for air traffic controllers, etc. Small airports are very heavily subsidized and many probably would not exist if it were not for federal subsidies dating from statutes passed in the 1950's.

Practical and economical solar energy would be great. But let's fund some already existing ways of cutting down on energy use.

azurite The above article is interesting. However, Oregon has dragged its feet in funding and promoting an existing form of energy efficient transport: passenger rail travel, the Amtrak Cascades line. JK: Huh? Amtrak uses 20% more energy per passenger mile than a cheap KIA Rio. If you really want to save energy, encourage small cars, not toy trains. See: DebunkingPortland.com/Transit/BusVsCarTEDB.htm

BTW, did you know that Amteak carries fewer passengers, nationally than MAX does locally?

azurite Washington funds more trains and promotes the system more (for instance, I believe WS.DOT funds and maintains the Amtrak Cascades website), and, because OR hasn't worked on funding more train runs, it's difficult (if not impossible) to use Amtrak Cascades to go south on the train in the am, return north in the pm (for example, if you wanted to travel from Salem in the morning, spend the day in Eugene, return to Salem that evening). JK: Last I heard, a trip from Eugene to Portland had a real cost around a HUNDRED DOLLARS. Good thing we don’t subsidize more of these money wasting fantasies.

azurite Practical and economical solar energy would be great. But let's fund some already existing ways of cutting down on energy use. JK: Precisely. Encourage people to use small cars- you have a much better chance of succeeding at that than you do at getting them to switch to slower, less convenient, less safe modes.

Thanks JK

<h2>JK, trains are "cool" though! I just don't think the government should run the system. Again, another example of a government failure. I have literally attempted TEN TIMES now in the last 3 months to take the Amtrak Cascades to Salem. It was delayed 50 minutes this last time and had to stop 3 TIMES on the way there!! What were they thinking when they bought really fancy schmancy trains and are running it on crap infrastructure? Would you buy a lamborgini and run it on a dirt pothole-filled road? That's what it seems like they are doing! How many regional high speed train systems could they have afforded instead of "bailing out" the airline industries how many times now? I have to say, there were a LOT of people on the train and if they don't act quickly to improve they are going to lose credibility in this area, too. Hey, Jim, BTW, there is another anti-M37 meeting at PCC on Mar. 14th. The OIA is getting the word out and people are going to storm the event. There are hopping mad landowners who are about to be bulldozed over by these tyrannical idiots. You should come video tape this one, too.</h2>