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2016 Fall Energy Symposium


The 2016 Fall Energy Symposium, October 13th-14th held in Roseburg, Oregon

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Share Your Story. Gain Perspective. Build Momentum.

On October 13-14, 2016, Sustainable Northwest gathered over 60 community leaders, businesses, elected officials and agency partners for the 2016 Fall Symposium in Roseburg, Oregon. We pulled together knowledge and connections from the Making Energy Work for Rural Oregon workshop series. Communities shared practical tools to grow local clean energy programs and connect with other like-minded communities around the state. We learned what strategies work and what barriers exist in energy planning, programming and development.

Thursday, October 13, 2016

The first day included a USDA REAP Grant Training, joined by Oregon Department of Energy, U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development, Wy'East RC&D and Northwest SEED.  We delved into financing for energy projects through the USDA Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) with experts and organizations who have successfully received applied for REAP grants.

The second workshop highlighted the AmeriCorps RARE Assistance program which can greatly add capacity for energy planning and development by securing a RARE Coordinator. Attendees learned how to secure a Resource Assistance for Rural Environment (RARE) volunteer for their community from RARE administrators, communities who have secured RARE placements and RARE volunteers past and present.

Friday, October 14, 2016

Communities from around the state reconvened for a full day of workshops to learn about a variety of renewable and energy saving opportunities, including Innovative Financing and Emerging Technologies, Working with Rural Electric Cooperatives, Community Solar, and Lessons Learned from Rural Communities.

We would like to extend a huge thank you to our speakers. Please find their presentations below.

USDA REAP Training ~ Jill Eikenhorst, Northwest SEED

Visit here for more resources on U.S. Department of Agriculture REAP Grants

Developing an Energy Plan ~ Karen Chase, Energy Trust of Oregon

Best Practices and Lessons Learned as a RARE ~ Bridget Callahan, Sustainable Northwest

Lessons from Douglas County ~ Melanie MacKinnon, Energy Consultant

Lessons from Hood River County ~ Marla Harvey, RARE Coordinator, Hood River County

Lessons from Talent ~ Hannah Sohl, Rogue Climate

Lessons from Klamath County ~ Bill Lehman, Klamath Watershed Partnership

Lessons from Lake County ~ Jim Walls, Lake County Resources Initiative

Financing Micro Hydro ~ Matt King, Wallowa Resources Community Solutions Inc.

Wastewater Treatment ~ Janet Gillaspie, Oregon Association of Clean Water Agencies, and Jim Baird, Roseburg Urban Sanitary Authority

Community Solar with Central Electric Cooperative ~ Jeff Beaman, Central Electric Cooperative

Oregon Clean Power Cooperative ~ Dan Orzech, Oregon Clean Power Cooperative

Community Solar in Oregon ~ Charlie Fisher, Environment Oregon

For more information about this event or other workshop series, contact Lee Rahr at lrahr@sustainablenorthwest.org or 503.221.6911 ext 105

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