OT - URGENT: Save Oregon's Energy Conservation Programs!

Overall, this year's legislative session has been quite a success. We've
expanded the bottle bill, protected the Oregon coast from oil drilling and
passed one of the strongest renewable energy standards in the country!

But unfortunately, in the last days of the session, the Legislature
approved, with no public hearings, a bill that takes $4.6 million from
energy conservation and renewable energy programs at the Energy Trust of
Oregon. If we don't stop this, Oregon will be cutting critical funding -
enough to provide as many as 4,700 families with energy conservation
services - at a time when energy conservation is more important than ever.

Our last chance to stop this is Governor Kulongoski, who has been a true
champion of energy conservation and renewable energy.

Please take a second right now to email the Governor and ask him to veto the
cut in energy conservation funding.

Please click on the link below or paste it into your browser:
http://www.environmentoregon.org/action/energy/energy-trust-raid?id4=ES

Then take a moment to forward this email to your friends and family - the
Governor needs to hear from as many people as possible.


BACKGROUND
Since 2002, the Energy Trust has helped make Oregon a leader on energy
conservation and renewable energy. Funded by a 3% charge on utility bills
for customers of PGE and Pacific Power (you'll see it on your bill labeled
"public purpose charge"), the Energy Trust offers financial assistance for
energy conservation and renewable energy projects. They offer services
ranging from free energy audits for home to rebates on energy-efficient
appliances or solar panels.

In 2006 alone, the Energy Trust saved enough energy to power almost 20,000
homes.

Unfortunately, the Legislature just passed Senate Bill 994, a last-minute
budget deal that takes $4.6 million from the Energy Trust's budget to pay
for a long-term debt held by the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry
(OMSI). OMSI has had a very difficult time repaying their debt and has
turned to the Legislature for help.

It may or may not be appropriate for the Legislature to help pay for OMSI's
debt, but it is certainly not appropriate to raid energy conservation funds
to do so. It is even more appropriate that the bill only requires PGE
ratepayers, and not those of any other utility, to pay for OMSI's debt. So
PGE ratepayers will see a fee on their bill for energy conservation and
renewable energy, but the funds will actually be going to pay OMSI's debt.
(It's important to note that OMSI did not ask for the assistance to come
from this source.)

The impacts on energy conservation and renewable energy in Oregon could be
significant. $4.6 million would provide enough energy conservation or
renewable energy to power 4,000 homes. The Energy Trust has already agreed
to provide funds for the Biglow Canyon wind farm, a major new wind energy
project in Oregon. Those funds could be jeopardized by this raid on their
budget.

The Legislature has already passed this bill. Our last chance to stop this
is Governor Kulongoski, who has been a true champion of energy conservation
and renewable energy. He has the authority to use a line-item veto to stop
this move before Oregon takes a step backward on energy conservation.

Please take a second right now to email the Governor and ask him to veto the
cut in energy conservation funding:

http://www.environmentoregon.org/action/energy/energy-trust-raid?id4=ES

Then take a moment to forward this email to your friends and family - the
Governor needs to hear from as many people as possible.


Sincerely,

Jeremiah Baumann
Environment Oregon Advocate
[email protected]
http://www.environmentoregon.org

_________________________________________________________________
Don’t miss your chance to WIN $10,000 and other great prizes from Microsoft 
Office Live http://clk.atdmt.com/MRT/go/aub0540003042mrt/direct/01/