Mayor Sam Adams

Earlier this week, Mayor Adams carried the message of climate prosperity and renewable energy into the heart of the hydrocarbon economy. The mayor led a delegation of Oregon legislators, business leaders, and public sector officials to the annual summit of the Pacific Northwest Economic Region Summit (PNWER). This year’s host was Calgary, Alberta, the energy capital of Canada and site of the Calgary Stampede. Calgary is connected to Portland by a direct Air Canada flight.

The primary goal of the trip (funded by Travel Portland) was to recruit participation in next year’s PNWER Summit, which Portland will host. Mayor Adams promoted Portland as a “different kind of energy capital” than Calgary. He pointed to the strong presence of leading international renewable energy companies, including Iberdrola, SolarWorld, and Vestas. In addition, he noted the progressive nature of our legacy utilities, PGE and PacifiCorp, “both of which vie for the most sustainable utilities in America.”

The mayor added that Portland was also the site of the world’s largest naked bike ride and home to 35 local breweries. He handed out vouchers to each guest for a pint of Rogue beer to be redeemed upon arrival in Portland.

The mayor joined with Ben Santarris of SolarWorld to present the Portland story on a panel dedicated to sustainable development. Mayor Adams made the case that Portland’s Economic Development Strategy and Climate Action Plan converge to produce innovation and green job creation, while drastically reducing our carbon emissions. The role of government in this process, said Adams, is to help facilitate citizens’ ability to organize on the demand side, while building public-private partnerships with suppliers to create new markets. 

As successful examples of this approach, Mayor Adams pointed to Clean Energy Works, eco-districts (including the Oregon Sustainability Center), and most recently, Solarize Portland. This citizen-driven initiative allows for Portland citizens to create volume purchasing power when adding solar photo-voltaic panels to their homes.  Santarris noted that early adopters and willingness to experiment make the Portland area perfect location for renewable energy businesses. Mayor Adams had no qualms in telling participants that if they wanted to invest in the future of the energy economy they should move their companies to Portland.

Adams and Santarris took a similar message to a meeting of Alberta’s solar industry leaders the following day, and were overwhelmed by the response. The line was literally out the door at a lunch hosted by Sustainable Industrial Development for the 21^st Century (SID21C), a group that led a study visit to Portland several months earlier. The mayor presented the Portland approach, and promoted Portland-area renewable products, including SolarWorld PV panels, to Alberta energy producers and contractors. 

PNWER comprises a diverse region of states and provinces, and serves as a clearinghouse for ideas and a region-specific lobbying organization on both sides of the border. The group has played a major role in improving cross-border procedures and in supporting rail links from Oregon to British Columbia. 

PNWER also serves as a venue to discuss more controversial issues, including a proposed new pipeline to the United States from Alberta’s famed Oil Sands (termed Tar Sands by critics). The U.S. Department of State is set to rule on the Tar Sands pipeline within the coming months, with great consequences for climate change and our energy economy. Mayor Adams was adamant that the moral imperative of climate change requires us to move away from such carbon-based solutions and towards even greater investment in renewable energy production and transmission. 

Despite our many differences, it is also clear that we are linked together in a single, integrated region. Mayor Adams pointed out that Portland acquires 30 percent of its power from Alberta’s natural gas. Alberta itself is a major purchaser of Vestas wind turbines, with Vestas USA based in Portland. Representatives of British Columbia were eager to advance the Western Climate Initiative, and shared details about their implementation of a carbon tax. Our partners on both sides of the border were eager for closer coordination with Portland in advance of next year’s Summit.