Clean Energy Leadership in Oregon - An Interview with Oregon State Representative Jules Bailey

While it seems like all eyes are focused on Washington D.C. and the battles raging around Congressional climate and energy legislation, all has been far from quiet on the state front. In this exclusive theEnergyCollective.com Podcast, I speak with Oregon State Representative Jules Kopel-Bailey about the Pacific Northwest state's clean energy leadership.

With the 2009 Oregon Legislative session recently coming to a close, Oregon has cemented it's status as a pioneer in clean energy and energy efficiency policy. With Oregon's Governor Ted Kulognoski outlining an ambitious clean energy agenda well before the legislative session even began, there was plenty of action on the clean energy and climate front in Salem.

New legislation was established to extend innovative, low-cost financing to homes and businesses looking to invest in energy efficiency retrofits and renewable energy. A renewable fuels standard modeled on California's successful initiative was enacted and a bill to create a greenhouse gas emissions performance standard for new coal-fired power plants was passed that will essentially keep new dirty coal out of Oregon's energy mix. On top of all of that, battles raged around controversial liquefied natural gas infrastructure, and a massive transportation package was passed that includings many innovative measures that make it "one of the greenest in the country," according to Representative Bailey.

He would know, since Jules was at the center of almost all of these fights, and in this podcast, we discuss the many clean energy victories, battles, and efforts yet in store in Oregon...

You can listen to the podcast and read a transcript of the extended interview at theEnergyCollective.com