OR 10-year plan to reactivate green energy

Sunday, March 4, 2012

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) -- Gov. John Kitzhaber has a new 10-year energy plan he hopes will be able to reactivate green energy in Oregon.

Despite the state's embrace of wind and solar companies, they're not making much of a contribution to the state's energy needs.

The Columbia Plateau is now draped in wind turbines, but they only supply 3 percent of Oregon's electricity. Solar and geothermal make a small contribution. Existing hydro-electricity is a big contributor, but fossil fuel plants still contribute half the state's electricity.

The Oregonian (http://is.gd/PD0W92 ) reports the governor hopes his new plan will change those numbers.

It features a laundry list of initiatives to take renewables, efficiency and green transportation from the marginal to the mainstream.

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Information from: The Oregonian, http://www.oregonlive.com