Sustainable Northwest believes wide-scale microgrid development is an important strategy for increasing energy resilience in rural and tribal communities. Microgrids will provide greater energy independence, resilience, and flexibility for rural and tribal communities. Beginning in 2022, Sustainable Northwest’s Making Energy Work Policy Committee began exploring what policies are needed in Oregon to make microgrids more accessible and affordable.

Maybe you’ve heard about the Inflation Reduction Act? Congress passed it and the president signed it – along with another law, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law – in 2022. Now in 2023, funds are beginning to flow to communities. Sustainable Northwest and its partners are leveraging some of these funds for projects that benefit nature, people, and local economies.

During the 2023 Oregon Legislative Session, we were fortunate to secure several significant achievements core to the mission of Sustainable Northwest and the places we work.

The 2021 Oregon Legislative Session was unlike any other before: taking place virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the wake of major economic, social, and environmental crises in Oregon and across the country.

Despite the challenges of distance and exceptional circumstances, we were fortunate to secure several significant achievements core to the mission of Sustainable Northwest and the places we work.