Salem City Council Proclaims July as Green Power Month

Currently, just over 2,500 Salem residential and small business customers are signed up for renewable energy from PGE.

(SALEM) - Salem Mayor Janet Taylor, along with the members of the Salem City Council proclaimed the month of July as the Green Power Month during Monday nights city council meeting.

The mayor and council challenged residents to sign up for renewable energy for their homes and businesses between now and the end of November.

The Green Power Month designation and five-month challenge is the first of its kind in Salem, and is designed to promote environmental stewardship.

The city’s goal is to increase reliance on renewable energy, including Portland General Electric’s (PGE’s) renewable power programs for residential and small business customers.

The goal is to increase Salem’s green power participation rate to 3,000 total customers, a 20 percent increase.

By enrolling in one of PGE’s renewable power options, an average Salem household or small business can reduce its share of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and offset as much as 8,400 pounds in one year — as much as a car would produce when driven more than 9,000 miles*.

CO2 emissions have been linked to global warming. If 500 additional Salem customers sign up for one of PGE’s renewable power options the total CO2 offset from city residents and businesses could reach 25.2 million pounds per year. That’s equivalent to taking 2,238 cars off the road, or not driving 27 million miles.

“Oregon is already a leader in renewable generation and usage, but we think as the capital city, Salem can set a unique example for its commitment to the development of renewable energy,” said Mayor Taylor.

“I encourage Salem residents to sign up for renewable power during the Salem Green Power Challenge and contribute to environmental stewardship for the future of our city and our state.”

“PGE applauds Mayor Taylor and the City of Salem for their leadership in endorsing green power as a way to increase Salem’s renewable power participation rates,” said Thor Hinckley, manager of PGE’s renewable power program.

“We’re confident that Salem residents will step up to the plate to make this challenge a success.”

Hinckley noted that under state law PGE cannot earn any additional net profit through its green power marketing efforts.

PGE’s Salem residential and small business customers who want to participate in the challenge and buy renewable power from PGE can enroll by visiting www.PortlandGeneral.com/Renewable/Salem, or by calling (503) 228-6322 or (800) 542-8818 outside of Portland.

For residential customers and small non-residential customers PGE offers a choice of three renewable power options: Green SourceSM allows customers to buy renewable power — equal to 100 percent of their consumption — from wind, geothermal and low-impact hydropower sources. Healthy HabitatSM has the same product mix as Green Source, but includes a donation to a Nature Conservancy program that improves local salmon habitat. The third option, PGE’s Clean Wind, provides 200 kWh per month of 100 percent new wind power from wind farms in Oregon and Washington and helps build new renewable resources in Oregon.**

Renewable energy projects funded with the help of PGE’s renewable programs include the solar system currently in use on the roof of the State Capitol.

* Based on a PGE customer selecting Green Choice or Healthy Habitat and using 1,000 kWh per month for one year. A customer’s offset amount will vary depending on the amount of electric power used.

**Customers will not have electricity from a specific generation facility delivered directly to their house or business. Their purchase causes renewable power to be delivered to the Northwest power grid equal to their household’s annual electricity use or a portion thereof, depending on the product they choose.