The Wind Behind the Sails of Oregon’s Renewable Energy Boom
Take a drive out on I-84 and you’ll see them. Lining the banks of the mighty Columbia River and looking like the futurist sculptures at Cannon beach, there’s a new kind of tree sprouting in Oregon. They’re taller than your typical Douglas Fir, and they’re setting the pace for a homegrown revolution. These are Oregon’s plentiful wind turbines – the driving forces of our ongoing renewable energy boom that’s reshaping our beloved state’s future.
Harnessing the Echoes of Mount Hood
The wind against your face, or in the case of the snowy pines on Mt. Hood, against your balaclava, is a familiar part of Oregon life. We’ve raced a sled down Timberline in it, kitesurfed through it at Hood River, and now, we’re catching that wind, wrapping it up, and creating an electric future for Oregonians. We’ve taken our love of wind from the sails of wooden ships navigated by our ancestors to wind turbines along the Gorge. It’s “Harness the Wind” day, every day in Oregon, and that’s no kite-flying exaggeration.
From Tracktown to Turbinetown
Oregonians aren’t just concerned about how fast a certain famous duck can motor around Autzen Stadium. The conversation around the coffee stand these days includes the phrase “megawatt capacity,” and the Ducks fans aren’t discussing track and field results. They’re talking energy. Portland General Electric, for instance, runs Biglow Canyon Wind Farm, a place where wind turbines loom larger than Pre’s Rock, and power more houses than there are microbreweries in Portland.
Redefining Our Relationship with the Columbia River
The Columbia River, so vital to our state identity, isn’t just for fishing anymore. The river, a sturdy companion on many an Oregon Trail-themed day trip, is feeding hydroelectric projects that have become part of our growing renewable energy portfolio. As we sip on our morning Stumptown coffee, we’re not just looking out over the same river where Sacagawea guided Lewis and Clark, it’s also the river that’s keeping our coffee hot and our smartphones charged.
Donation Land Claim of Today: Solar Power
We aren’t the Sunshine State – far from it, especially come the rainy season, but solar is as much a part of Oregon’s renewable landscape now as the wildflowers blooming in Crater Lake. Ashland’s municipal utility, for example, has been juggling sunlight even better than the talented performers at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. Through the Ashland Solar Pioneer Program, they’ve proved that despite the cloudy skies, solar is far from being a ‘Oregon Trail “You have died of dysentery” situation for us’.
Leaving Sunset Beach, Towards an Even Brighter Horizon
It’s no secret we’ve got a thing for keeping our corner of the Pacific Northwest ‘green’. But our renewable journey is about more than just matching the color of our Columbia Gorge trails, it’s about representing the values ingrained in the phrase “Oregon, My Oregon.” It’s about making sure that Tillamook cheese keeps coming, that the fishing boats at Newport’s Yaquina Bay continue to get a fresh catch every sunrise, and that Deschutes Brewery keeps creating great ales from the cleanest water.
The future is flooded with potential as we continue to embrace our renewable energy journey. If you thought the glow of a sunset over Mount Bachelor was beautiful, just wait until you see the dawn of Oregon’s renewable era. You might be able to feel a certain buzz in the air – and, no, that’s not just the hum of electric scooters in Downtown Portland – it’s the excitement of Oregon’s renewable energy future. And so, fellow Oregonians, let’s toast our IPA-filled pint glasses to the driving forces behind our renewable energy boom – the wind, water, and sun.