June 19, 2007

Beaverton City Council issues Green Power Challenge to residents
City facilities will use 100 percent renewable power

Beaverton, Ore. – The City of Beaverton is challenging its citizens to purchase more environmentally friendly green power. At last night’s city council meeting, Mayor Rob Drake and the Beaverton City Council proclaimed the city’s first Green Power Challenge.

Mayor Rob Drake also announced that for the first time Beaverton’s city government will purchase green power from Portland General Electric for all of its facilities.

The three-month Green Power Challenge for all Beaverton PGE customers, business and residential, begins Tuesday, June 19 and concludes Saturday, Sept. 15, 2007, in time for the 50^th anniversary of Beaverton’s Celebration Parade. Through the community-wide challenge, the city hopes to increase its reliance on clean renewable energy.  The goal is to generate 250 new green power enrollments in PGE’s programs.

As a role model, the city is also buying almost 7.6 million kilowatt hours of renewable power this year, representing the amount consumed by its facilities. This is enough power to offset approximately 6.8 million pounds of carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions in one year, which is equivalent to not driving 7.6 million miles. CO₂ is a major contributor to global warming.

“The City of Beaverton is very committed to sustainable business practices,” said Mayor Rob Drake. “We wanted to show our powerful commitment to green power by going the extra mile to sponsor this challenge and purchase renewable energy for the city. I encourage citizens to sign up for renewable power during the Beaverton Green Power Challenge and contribute to environmental stewardship for the future of our city and our state.”  

“Using renewable energy is one of the best ways to combat global warming,” said Thor Hinckley, PGE’s renewable power program manager. “Beaverton’s citizens will emerge as leaders on this important issue. PGE applauds Mayor Rob Drake and the City Council for launching this important chapter in Beaverton’s environmental history.”

PGE’s renewable power options
PGE offers two green power products* as part of its Renewable Power Options program:

• Green Source^SM — Residential and small-medium businesses buy 100 percent new renewable power equal to 100 percent of their consumption from wind, geothermal and biomass generation. 
• Clean Wind^SM — Residential and small business customers pay a set fee for a fixed amount of new wind power each month. Medium and large businesses can by varying amounts of Clean Wind, up to 100 percent of their needs. The wind power comes from wind farms in Oregon and Washington and helps build new renewable resources in Oregon.

In addition, PGE’s residential and small business renewable power customers have the option of improving salmon and steelhead habitat in Oregon by supplementing their renewable choice with Habitat Support^SM, a contribution that goes directly to a program administered by The Nature Conservancy of Oregon.

How to sign up for the challenge
Beaverton residential and small business customers who want to participate in the challenge and buy renewable power from PGE can enroll by visiting the Beaverton Green Power Challenge section. Medium and large business customers should visit the Clean Wind section. All customers can call (503) 228-6322.

The City of Beaverton and PGE will promote this challenge through various grassroots marketing and sales efforts and events, including the Mayor’s Picnics in the Park. In addition, PGE will have sales representatives at retail stores and various local events and canvass their Beaverton neighbors door to door. For more information about the challenge visit the City of Beaverton Web site.

PGE’s Green Power Leadership
PGE’s national leadership in renewable power dates back to the 1990s when the company agreed to purchase the entire output of Oregon’s first major wind farm, Vansycle Ridge. By the end of the year, PGE will complete phase one of the largest wind farms in the nation, the Biglow Canyon wind farm, also in eastern Oregon. (The Biglow Canyon project was developed by Orion Energy LLC and will be built, owned and operated by PGE.)

The company was named the 2006 Green Power Program of the year by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Energy. According to the latest national figures, PGE sold more renewable power to residential customers than any other utility in the United States in 2006. There are currently more than 54,000 PGE customers participating in PGE’s Renewable Options program.

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