Related News
Related News
-
How EWEB’s Fleet Services reached 200,000 hours without a lost time injury
EWEB’s Fleet Services team reached a major safety milestone: 200,000 work hours without a workplace injury that results in an employee losing at least one full day of work.
Find Out More -
EWEB cuts greenhouse gas emissions from operations 55% since 2010
Switching to renewable fuels in EWEB’s fleet operations has played a key role in reducing the utility's greenhouse gas emissions.
Find Out More -
Energy conservation could offset large portion of growth in power demand
Preliminary results of an EWEB study indicate that cutting back demand can contribute to maintaining a reliable, affordable energy supply.
Find Out More -
Groups suing EWEB will burden customers with litigation-driven costs
EWEB expresses disappointment that groups choose court over collaboration and firmly disputes the claims made in the lawsuit relating to operation of the utility’s Carmen-Smith Hydroelectric Project nearly 70 miles east of Eugene. EWEB takes its environmental and public safety responsibilities seriously. Contrary to the assertions in the lawsuit, construction of fish passage was postponed because EWEB’s regulator, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), required the utility to study and resolve urgent dam safety issues first.
Find Out More -
Small number of McKenzie Valley EWEB customers face higher February bills due to estimated reads
EWEB under-estimated energy usage for about one-fifth of upriver customers in December or January, resulting in higher true-up bills in February.
Find Out More -
EWEB offers Greenpower Grant to support local sustainability project
The Greenpower Grant, funded by voluntary customer subscriptions to Greenpower, not customer grants, supports projects that advance renewable energy, clean energy education or efforts to reduce or offset local carbon emissions.
Find Out More -
Rising Together: Female operation staffers begin industry mentorship program
One week into Women's History Month and just before International Women's Day on March 8, three women in EWEB leadership roles embarked on a 10-month-long journey of mentorship, fellowship, and professional development.
Find Out More -
EWEB and BRING cook up new ways to help Eugene businesses save energy
Businesses can cut energy costs with EWEB’s free Energy Assessments and efficiency programs. Plus, for a limited time, BRING is offering $1,000 rebates for qualifying upgrades—apply by Feb. 28!
Find Out More -
EWEB Board Adopts 2025 Goals
Goals focus on supporting low-income community members and renters, while improving operational efficiency.
Find Out More -
PNW Lineman Rodeo raises $85,000 for Oregon Burn Center
EWEB line techs are proud partners and participants in the rodeo fundraiser every year.
Find Out More -
Eugene residents share energy and water saving tips
From blocking a draft to replacing your heating system, each action you take can save water and electricity.
Find Out More -
EWEB customers and employees share the love through Energy Share donations
EWEB budgets funding to help customers struggling to pay their utility bill, but the need is always greater than what we can provide alone. Energy Share, our customer donation funded program helps fill the gap.
Find Out More -
Energy demand reaches highest level in nearly a decade as utility prepares for ice
Frigid temperatures in the low 20s caused surging electricity demand in early February.
Find Out More -
EWEB leverages Oregon Clean Fuels Program to support electric mobility
Five grants support programs benefiting homeless youth and bike sharing, among others.
Find Out More -
Frigid weather drives highest energy demand of the winter so far
Peak electricity demand this season surpasses demand levels during last year’s ice storm.
Find Out More - Show More
Revisiting EWEB’s Climate Policies during COP26
November 01, 2021
If the coronavirus pandemic defined the year 2020, climate change would summarize 2021. We've heard stories of devastation from across the globe, including record floods, landslides, hurricanes, and storms. Here in Oregon, we've endured massive wildfires, deadly heat waves, and extreme droughts.
Over the next two weeks, leaders from around the world will meet at the United Nation's 26th Conference of the Parties (COP26) in Glasgow, Scotland, to commit to reducing the catastrophic effects of climate change.
COP26 is an important follow-up to the 2015 Paris Agreement, which outlines a plan to prevent the planet from warming more than 1.5oC. At COP26, each nation will present its unique strategies to accomplish the promises made in the Paris Agreement.
It's being called "the world's best last chance to get runaway climate change under control."
The United States, the State of Oregon, and the City of Eugene each have defined their own climate goals, as well. As a public utility, EWEB represents the interests of our community, and works in partnerships with the City of Eugene, the University of Oregon, local nonprofit organizations and businesses, and our customers - our constituents - to reduce our community's carbon footprint, conserve energy, and manage costs of service.
In fact, EWEB's five elected commissioners approved a Climate Change Policy for EWEB in 2018. In it, the Board recognizes that climate change presents ongoing environmental, economic, and social risk to EWEB, our customers, our community, and the world. There are four areas in which EWEB recognizes its role in combating climate change, and one acknowledging the climate's impacts on EWEB business:
- Power Generation: The Board is committed to supporting an electric power portfolio utilizing low-carbon, renewable resources to the extent possible and practical without impacting safety or reliability.
- Status: Presently, EWEB's electricity resource mix is approximately 90% carbon free, with a 5-year average carbon intensity of 0.025 MTCO2e/MWh
- Carbon Measures: The Board authorizes, delegates, and directs the General Manager to participate in local, state, and regional efforts to encourage, develop and enact measures to mitigate carbon emissions in the energy sector that contribute to climate change.
- Status: Over the past five years, EWEB has been one of the few public utilities voicing support for carbon and climate legislation, including State cap and trade legislation, residential Energy Tax Credit (RETC) reauthorization, wildfire mitigation standards and workshops, as well as an active participant on the Mayor's Climate Recovery Ordinance Ad Hoc Work Group and City of Eugene Climate Collaborative Partners group.
- EWEB Operations: The Board further authorizes, delegates, and directs the General Manager to continue efforts to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions from EWEB's operations through the use of the Triple Bottom Line analytical framework, including impacts on the environment and climate.
- Status: Between 2009 and 2019, EWEB's cumulative operations-based emissions have decreased by 4,457 metric tons of MTCO2e, or 39%, using location-based accounting for electricity. This decrease is primarily due to a 49% reduction in fossil fuel fleet emissions and a 33% reduction in electricity-based emissions. Year 2020 operational emissions will be reported in December.
- Customer Decarbonization: The Board further authorizes, delegates, and directs the General Manager to assist customers with their carbon reductions through technical assistance and resources that support energy efficiency, alternative fuels, electric and water conservation, and smart electrification.
- Status: EWEB offers over 40 different GreenPowerTM, energy efficiency and conservation products/programs, including limited income and rental qualifying programs, electric vehicle charging and heat pump hot water heater incentives, along with commercial programs for lighting, refrigeration, compressors, and other applications. Since 2010, EWEB programs have saved at least 600,000 MWhs (estimated, data is being analyzed) of energy representing 175,000 metric tons of carbon emissions reduction (using regional electricity blend), averaging 15,900 MTCO2e/Year during that period.
- Impacts on EWEB: The Board directs the General Manager to evaluate and enact measures, as necessary and appropriate, to prepare for and minimize the effects of climate change that could impact EWEB's water and electric supply and infrastructure, damaging EWEB's resiliency and reliability.
- Status: EWEB has and continues to develop plans to enhance resiliency and response to disruptive events, including those impacted by climate change, most recently a Wildfire Mitigation Plan, 2020 Eugene-Springfield Area Multi-Jurisdictional Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan (Plan), and EWEB's Drinking Water Risk & Resiliency Assessment per the 2018 American Water Infrastructure Act.
Commissioners revisited EWEB's Climate Change Policy at the November 2021 Board Meeting.
As a community, we have made some inspiring progress towards cutting our emissions. EWEB has helped customers earn millions of dollars in rebates on their energy efficiency investments. Every day we see more and more electric vehicles on our streets. According to the City of Eugene's Community Greenhouse Gas Inventory, the we have decreased the carbon emissions of our buildings by "51% due to an increase in the share of low-carbon intensity electricity production generated or purchased by EWEB."
Throughout the next two weeks, while world leaders deliberate at COP26, we'd like to remind our community about our collective successes and how far we've come along together. While there is still much work to be done, by identifying clear, concrete actions we can all take, we can help create small victories that propel our momentum.
Follow along as we report some of our victories, share some exciting news about new programs and projects, and provide you with opportunities to take direct action to reduce your carbon footprint, cut down on your energy use and save money.