“Green Jobs” Boom Predicted for Central Oregon

Downturn hasn’t put damper on green jobs in Central Oregon
A boom is expected in the near future, and not just in fields that you’d expect
By Kate Ramsayer – The Bulletin – July 27, 2009

There’s only so many windy patches of Earth — and even fewer patches close to transmission lines.

So for the next five to 10 years, the wind power industry is going to be running full steam ahead, said Mike Costanti, principal with Western Community Energy.

“This industry is growing very quickly — and we feel our company will grow quickly as well,” Costanti said.

He anticipates quadrupling the size of his Bend-based company’s development staff over the next couple of years, with jobs for turbine operators, lawyers, permit writers, electrical engineers, structural engineers, construction workers and more.

“We have a lot of room for growth,” Costanti said.

A study released last month by the Oregon Employment Department found that Oregon had more than 51,000 “green jobs” in 2008. Even with the economic downturn, environmentally friendly jobs were projected to increase about 14 percent by 2010. And in Central Oregon, green employers predict that the area could need people working in a variety of jobs that require a range of skills — from energy auditors to organic farmers to solar electricians.

Bad News for Renewable Energy Education in Central Oregon

While OSU-Cascades “dodged the axe” (good news) and apparently will remain as a tiny higher education outpost in Central Oregon, it will suffer from a substantial reduction in funding as will Central Oregon Community College (bad news). Additionally, while OSU-Cascades will get less money, students will soon be hit with substantially increased tuition costs (bad news).

But what is most disheartening to CO Renewable is the “nixing new programs that school officials hoped to start during the upcoming fall term, such as . . . plans to begin offering an energy engineering management degree” that would “prepare students for working in all fields of renewable energy”.

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OSU-Cascades Dodges The Axe
by Daniel Pearson – The Source Weekly – May 20, 2009 

After weeks of discussion, speculation and hand-wringing, it appears that Central Oregon’s fledgling higher education experiment will be spared the budget ax. Under the new legislative budget proposal released May 18, OSU-Cascades avoided closure for the time being – the budget will not be finalized until July 1 and will likely come under scrutiny again during the 2011 budget sessions.

Rep. Judy Stiegler (D-Bend) said she worked with Central Oregon’s legislative delegation – Rep. Gene Whisnant and Sen. Chris Telfer – to keep funding for OSU-Cascades in the current budget.

Why Doesn’t Central Oregon Have a Renewable Energy Zone like the Columbia Gorge?

Why Doesn’t Central Oregon Have a Renewable Energy Zone?

Five Oregon and Washington counties that straddle the Columbia River have joined forces and become the Columbia Gorge Bi-State Renewable Energy Zone. Those counties are: Hood River, Sherman and Wasco Counties in Oregon and Klickitat, Sherman and Skamania Counties in Washington.

They claim that because it’s “centrally located in the Pacific Northwest, the Columbia Gorge is an ideal location for renewable energy production, manufacturing, and research. They go on to say that “The area offers qualities such as a broad inventory of industrial property, mutli-modal transportation, renewable energy technology training, a favorable business climate, and an unbelievable quality of life.” They go on to invite the reader to “explore the links above to learn about this world-class renewable energy region and opportunities to invest your business.  Including:

Workforce training – Affordable industrial lands – Quality of life
Favorable business climate – Multi-modal transportation”

Why Not Central Oregon?

Is there any reason why the counties of Central Oregon (Crook, Deschutes, and Jefferson) couldn’t join forces and do the same?  It would be so easy to simply reword the above description/sales pitch to read:

Located in the heart of  Oregon, Central Oregon is an ideal location for renewable energy production, manufacturing, and research. The area offers qualities such as a broad inventory of industrial property, mutli-modal transportation, renewable energy technology training, a favorable business climate, and an unbelievable quality of life. Explore the links on our website to learn about this world-class renewable energy region and opportunities to invest your business. 

It should be noted that Central Oregon does have one county – Crook – that has a Rural Renewable Energy Development Zone designation.  Although that is an admirable effort much more could and should be done to establish Central Oregon – and all of its counties –  a leader in renewable energy development and education.

Lots of Renewable Energy Jobs but Training is Scarce

Columbia Gorge Community College currently offers a 1-year Certificate and a 2-year Associate of Applied Science (AAS) Degree in Renewable Energy Technology (RET). It’s too bad that Central Oregon Community College doesn’t offer something similar that’s focused on solar, geothermal or woody biomass – all renewable energy sources that are abundant in Central Oregon. 

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Wind power jobs are abundant, but training is scarce
by Mark Larabee, The Oregonian – February 9, 2009

Last spring, Vestas Wind Systems donated a 12,000-pound turbine hub to Columbia Gorge Community College in The Dalles so students enrolled in the wind technician training program could get their hands on the very equipment they would one day maintain.

Today, it sits in storage near Portland International Airport waiting for completion of a new lab building.

The irony isn’t lost on Dan Spatz, the school’s resource development director. The college, which runs the only certified wind technician training program in the West, needs more money to meet a huge demand for skilled workers, both Spatz and industry leaders say.

And while he’s thankful for a $400,000 state grant for the lab, he’s concerned that Gov. Ted Kulongoski’s proposed budget didn’t include $8 million toward a $19.5 million, 23,000-square-foot training center.

One thing that did make it into Kulongoski’s spending plan is up to $19 million cash to entice Vestas to expand its North American headquarters in Portland. Vestas is the world’s leading supplier of wind power.

In this economy, no one is sure what will remain in the state budget, but that only makes the competition for the shrinking pot of money all the more fierce as Oregon tries to position itself as a leader in renewable energy.

Solar Panel Installations Continue in Spite of Recession

While employment opportunities continue to grow “solar panel installers must be able to lift heavy equipment and should feel confident about working in high places, because much of their day is spent on roofs.”

The good news is “that a high school or trade school education is all that is needed.” Even so, “some applicants with college engineering or business degrees start as solar panel installers, hoping to move into other jobs — like product designer, sales manager or supervisor — within the company or industry.”

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Up on the Roof, New Jobs in Solar Power
By Julie Bick – New York Times - December 13, 2008

MOVE over, Joe the Plumber. Spencer the Solar Panel Installer is here.

In this case, it’s Spencer Bockus, who created solar-powered fans and other contraptions for science fairs as a fifth grader in California. Today, at 22, he is on customers’ roofs, measuring where the shade will hit and hooking up photovoltaic arrays, better known as solar panels, to convert the sun’s energy into electricity.

“Sometimes I’m 50 feet up on a steep roof and it’s so hot the tar is melting onto the bottoms of my sneakers,” he said, “but I’m excited because I’m helping the environment.”

Even in the recession, Mr. Bockus has been putting in plenty of overtime for his company, Akeena Solar, which is based in Los Gatos, Calif., and has offices elsewhere in California and in Colorado and the Northeast.

According to the Solar Energy Industries Association, based in Washington, there was a 45 percent increase in installed solar energy systems in 2007 over 2006.

More than 3,400 companies are in the solar energy sector and employ about 25,000 to 35,000 workers, including installers, manufacturers, distributors and project developers and materials suppliers.

“We estimate that will grow to more than 110,000 direct solar jobs by 2016,” said Monique Hanis, a spokeswoman for the organization.

Solar 4RSchools – Why Not Here?

Schools Get Virtually Free Solar Panels
Tom Banse – OPB News – December 12, 2008

In the midst of a dark and stormy day, it’s hard to get excited about solar power.  But that’s exactly what’s happening on Bainbridge Island, Friday. 

A middle school there is the 34th Northwest school to dedicate a solar array that they got more or less for free. 

The Portland-based Bonneville Environmental Foundation is orchestrating the “Solar 4R Schools” program. 

Local utilities, Bonneville Power and community donors are footing the bills.

Typically, participating schools get a six panel solar array.  That’s small.  It generates enough electricity for one computer, a television, and some lamps maybe. 

Foundation marketing director Siobhan Foley says the systems are intended to power students’ minds more than the lights.

Siobhan Foley: “It’s a lot like say, for example when I was in school we learned a lot about recycling.  It wasn’t something we yet did at home.  It’s now something most of us do in our homes because we learned about it in school and it became second nature to us.”

Foley says dry and sunny Northwest summers make up for the weak solar power production this time of year.

Additional solar arrays are in the pipeline for six schools in Washington State, four in Oregon and three in Idaho.  The cost starts at $25,000 and goes up with size. http://www.b-e-f.org/renewables/index.shtm

Green Energy is Green Like Money & Education

With green energy, Northwest can help itself
By Roger Ebbage – Register-Guard Guest Viewpoint – October 30, 2008

Opinion: Editorials & Letters:

As America confronts the current economic and energy crises, now is the time to invest in clean energy technologies that will build prosperity and fight global warming. Clean energy and climate solutions are the brightest prospect for driving economic recovery and sustaining long-term prosperity.

A recent report by the Political Economy Research Institute finds that investing in clean energy would create four times as many jobs as spending the same amount of money within the oil industry. Worldwide, $148 billion was invested in renewable energy and efficiency companies in 2007 — 60 percent more than in 2006.

Just this month, regional clean technology experts Clean Edge and Climate Solutions released Carbon Free Prosperity 2025, a report that shows the Northwest can generate more than 63,000 new family-supporting jobs by focusing on five clean technology areas: solar photovoltaic manufacturing, green building design, sustainable bioenergy, wind power and “smart-grid” technologies that improve the efficiency of our electric system and more easily integrate renewable energy. The Clean Edge report shows how the Pacific Northwest can seize a leadership role in the clean-tech economy.

Sanyo Solar to Build Solar Ingot Factory in Salem – How About Bend?

The three newspaper articles below clearly report that, although generous incentives were major selling points, other key reasons for Sanyo Solar of Oregon to build their plant near Salem were “relatively cheap power and a good, affordable work force”.  Bend / Central Oregon can claim the same advantages.

Sanyo chose about 20 acres of vacant city-owned property at 5475 Gaffin Road SE for its new plant. Salem wants to turn 79 acres along Gaffin Road into a renewable energy and technology park.

City and economic development officials hope the solar cell plant will encourage other energy companies and their suppliers to locate here.  At a special meeting of Salem City Council , councilors approved a ground lease and purchase agreement with Sanyo for the Gaffin Road location. Sanyo will pay about $1.74 million for the 19.77 acres.

Councilors also signed off on enterprise zone tax breaks for Sanyo, which provide tax abatement on new construction and equipment. They agreed to extend the standard three-year enterprise zone tax break to five years.

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Central Oregon Renewable Energy Education Lags Behind the Rest of Oregon

The local tourism bureaus love to claim that Central Oregon gets “over 300 days of sunshine” but they fail to mention that massive amount of solar energy simply does not reach any local renewable energy education programs in a meaningful way.  Many other of Oregon’s community colleges have some sort of education program focused on renewable energy.  But not Central Oregon.  What Central Oregon Community College offers is a non-credit Sustainable Building Advisor Program.  Although this is a well-meaning gesture, did someone forget to let COCC know that the building boom in Central Oregon was unsustainable from the start and is now over?

With all of the region’s sunshine why doesn’t COCC offer a program based on solar energy?  Too many people are claiming that if we only try hard enough Central Oregon can get a four-year university to locate here.  This is a pipe-dream. The State of Oregon has a hard enough time trying to fund existing colleges and universities.  Let’s instead focus on leveraging Central Oregon’s strengths. Solar energy is a strength.

The article below describes how Columbia Gorge Community College put together - in two short years - a program that offers one-year certificates and two-year degrees in its Renewable Energy Technology program. Read further how this program provides family-wage jobs in a clean and growing industry for their region.

For Information on Oregon’s Renewable Energy Education Programs visit:

• Columbia Gorge Community College has their Renewable Energy Technology program.
• Portland Community College (offers an associate degree and a certificate program in solar technology).
• Lane Community College (offers an Energy Management Program).
• Oregon Institute of Technology’s Renewable Energy Systems program.
• Mount Hood Community College has a  Central Electric Training Center.

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Oregon creates hot jobs in green energy
By Eric Mortenson – The Oregonian – August 25, 2008
 
Commuting the 20-mile stretch of Interstate 84 from Hood River to The Dalles, Susan Wolff couldn’t help notice truck after truck also headed east, their flatbed trailers loaded with long cylinders – wind turbine components.

“There have to be jobs tied to these,” Wolff thought.

With that much machinery moving down the highway, and that much installation and building going on, she smelled an opportunity. And as chief academic officer for Columbia Gorge Community College, Wolff was in a position to pursue the notion.

Two years later, the college is churning out technicians for the booming wind farms of the mid-Columbia. Having developed a curriculum that fits the wind power companies’ needs, the college has placed 50 to 55 graduates who maintain the electronic and mechanical systems of the 400-foot-tall wind turbines that have sprouted in the rolling hills of north-central Oregon and across the river in Washington.

Renewable Energy Jobs are NOT Growing Fast in Central Oregon

Contrary to the “puff piece” below that was published in The Bulletin family-wage jobs in renewable energy are not growing fast in Central Oregon.  Yes, there was a boom in the building trades during the unsustainable rush to throw up houses and commercial buildings but any renewable energy job growth was just a small wake from the boom.  Real job growth in renewable energy industries in Central Oregon was just a myth and part of the public relations job done by the The Bulletin, real estate developers and others who gained during the real estate run-up.

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An eye on the Earth, but also on economics
Renewable energy jobs are growing fast, people in the field say
By Kate Ramsayer - The Bulletin – April 14, 2008

E2 Powered president Mike Hewitt moves a heating tube while working at Celtic Car Wash in Redmond. E2 Powered does sales, design and installation of solar electric and solar hot water systems. “The green market isn’t weird anymore; it’s not the hippie thing,” says Kelli Hewitt, also with E2 Powered.

Beyond solar power, the demand for all kinds of renewable energy is growing fast and should continue to be a booming business in the future, said Cylvia Hayes, executive director of Bend-based 3EStrategies, a nonprofit that promotes sustainability.

“The industry is just absolutely mushrooming now, and it’s going to be here to stay,” she said.

And with the expanding renewable energy industry comes new employment opportunities in what are called “green collar” jobs, which could be anything from solar panel installers to wind turbine engineers to biomass plant operators.