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EWEB is excited to announce the eligible candidates for the 2025 Greenpower Grant! Funding for the grant comes from voluntary Greenpower customer contributions. One project will be chosen by majority vote of Greenpower customers.

The purpose of the Greenpower Grant is to provide financial support for a project that helps our community reduce carbon emissions. The project could include installation of renewable energy systems, battery storage systems, research or studies on renewable energy, educational curriculum or workshop development, or carbon emission offsets. 

Below is a summary of the projects submitted, in alphabetical order. The full proposal for each candidate is linked at the end of their summary.

Friends of Trees

Friends of Trees inspires people to improve the world around them through a simple solution - Planting Trees. Together. Friends of Trees (FOT) recognizes that not everyone has equal access to the benefits of trees. Our organization's commitment to support community forestry focuses on providing tree planting and tree care education to all. Our intention with the 2025 Greenpower Grant is to continue the expansion of our Neighborhood Tree program to areas of Eugene with low tree equity scores, with a specific focus on Trainsong, Eugene's lowest income and lowest canopy neighborhood.  Improving tree canopy in low canopy areas can reduce energy consumption.Read our full proposal.

Greenhill Humane Society

The mission of Greenhill Humane Society is to provide care and shelter for animals, support and resources for people and education to promote the humane treatment of animals. We have been caring for animals and supporting people in Lane County since 1944 as the only animal shelter within the Eugene/Springfield area. Currently, we are the sole-organization in our community that provides large-scale sheltering and veterinary care during times of crisis or disaster. Our hope with the 2025 Greenpower Grant is to install a 10.56 KW Solar Electric System on its recently constructed Veterinary Medical Clinic roof, increasing our resiliency, reducing dependency on non-renewable resources, while reducing expenses, enabling us to put more resources into helping the community. Read our full proposal.

Lane Community College

Lane is the Community's college, providing quality, comprehensive, accessible, inclusive learning-centered educational opportunities that promote equitable student success. Lane Community College (LCC) has an official goal and formal commitment to achieve carbon neutrality and resiliency by the year 2050 or sooner. The 2025 Greenpower Grant award will be utilized to install a 11.6 KW photovoltaic system, include a live solar monitoring webpage to educate college employees, students and visitors on renewable energy. The project will reduce greenhouse gas emissions from electricity consumption at LCC's main campus and reduce operating costs. Read our full proposal.

Plaza de Nuestra

Dedicated to empowering and supporting the lives of Latinx and immigrant community members, Plaza de Nuestra Comunidad serves as a vital hub in Lane County. Our mission is to cultivate a safe, welcoming space that actively fosters leadership, education, holistic wellness and crucial community connection. 2025 Greenpower Grant funds will be used to replace four obsolete 5-ton rooftop HVAC units. Replacing these outdated units with modern, high-efficiency models will significantly reduce our energy consumption and associated carbon footprint. This project will directly benefit over 1,000 Latinx and immigrant families we serve annually, the anticipated reduction in energy costs translates to operational savings which can be allocated to more vital resources for Lane County's underserved populations. Read our full proposal.

SquareOne Village

SquareOne Villages is a community land trust, with a mission of creating democratic communities with homes that are permanently affordable and environmentally sustainable. We develop affordable housing co-ops for individuals, couples and small families living on low to very low incomes, who have a critical need for quality, safe, permanently affordable housing. Lack of affordable housing is the main driver of the high rate of homelessness in Lane County. We are planning to use the 2025 Greenpower Grant award to support the purchase and installation of a 172.43 KW photovoltaic system at our Rosa Village Co-op being constructed in the Trainsong Neighborhood. The system will supply power to all 52 residential homes and the Common House, lowering operating costs with an estimated $214,550 kWH of annual electrical savings, significantly reducing reliance on external energy sources and the amount of fossil fuel used energy from entering the atmosphere. Read our full proposal.

University of Oregon

The University of Oregon's (UO) Natural Area Program works to enhance the quality of habitat and recreation opportunities on the UO Willamette River Natural Area (WRNA) and Millrace Natural Area. We are tasked with restoring 24 acres of highly degraded habitat on the UO Willamette River Natural Area into healthy riparian and woodland forests including an oak savannah. Besides restoring the habitat, the WRNA provides an open space for the Eugene and Springfield community to recreate as the Ruth Bascom Riverbank path system runs through the center of the property. We are also conducting restoration research and professional development opportunities for students. Currently, the program does not own any maintenance vehicles for use in these activities, and uses bicycles and borrowed trucks to conduct restoration activities. The 2025 Greenpower Grant would support our program in the purchase of a more sustainable electric work vehicle - reducing the UO's overall greenhouse gas emissions as well as vehicle noise pollution in natural areas. Read our full proposal.

Very Little Theatre

Established in 1929, the Very Little Theatre is one of the oldest community theatres in the country. Very Little Theatre is a diverse, community based volunteer organization that entertains, educates and inspires through theatre. We have been working to update our building, where all of our shows are performed, for the past 6 year. Part of these improvements includes working on our green initiative and becoming BRING certified. Funding from the 2025 Greenpower Grant will help us install a 10.03 KW solar electric system, with an estimated savings of $1,128 and reduced carbon footprint. Read our full proposal.

How to vote

To participate in this year's selection process, customers must be subscribers of the Greenpower program. Greenpower is a voluntary program that supports clean, sustainable energy and encourages renewable energy projects in our local community. Become a subscriber today and cast your vote for the 2025 Greenpower Grant recipient.

Ballots will be delivered to all current Greenpower subscribers via email. You must be a Greenpower subscriber in order to receive a ballot. Online voting will remain open through April 18, 2025.

The 2025 Greenpower Grant recipient will be announced on Earth Day 2025, April 22.

If you have any questions on the program or are a current Greenpower Subscriber and haven’t received your ballot please email Cheryl.Froehlich@eweb.org.