Related News
Related News
-
September is National Preparedness Month: 3 tips to prepare your home & family
Let's "Be Ready" together!
Find Out More -
EWEB invests in preparedness for severe weather and natural disasters
Just as you take steps to safeguard your home and family, EWEB is investing in equipment and processes to ensure our community’s electric and water systems remain reliable in the face of adversity.
Find Out More -
EWEB customers achieve remarkable results in environmental stewardship through EWEB's Lead Green programs
Subscribers of EWEB's Lead Green programs helped reduce carbon emissions in 2023 by 730 metric tons of CO2e.
Find Out More -
EWEB prepares to re-energize the new Currin Substation
The rebuilt substation will increase load capacity, improve power reliability, and incorporate seismic resiliency to ensure service to our community for generations.
Find Out More -
EWEB, SUB and RWD join forces at Lane County Fair to distribute water to fairgoers
The Eugene Water & Electric Board, Springfield Utility Board and Rainbow Water District are teaming up for the 9th year to provide fairgoers with clean, cold free water.
Find Out More -
EWEB preparing for expected surge in electric vehicles
Electric vehicle (EV) sales are poised to skyrocket in the years ahead as technology improves, more models hit the market, prices fall and regulations limit the sale of gas-powered vehicles. And EWEB is preparing for this surge.
Find Out More -
Community members can test out climate-friendly e-bikes at E-Bike Expo on Saturday
EWEB encourages Eugene residents to ride into summer on clean, accessible e-bikes, with a $300 e-bike rebate.
Find Out More -
EWEB Hosts Dinner to Appreciate Customers of the McKenzie River Valley
EWEB hosted a customer appreciation dinner at the Walterville Community Center on Thursday, May 23, in place of its yearly upriver Board meeting. The event allowed customers, EWEB Commissioners, and staff to share a meal and openly discuss topics most relevant to the McKenzie Valley community.
Find Out More -
EWEB bids a fond farewell to College Hill Reservoir and prepares for modern drinking water storage tanks
Several hundred Eugene residents came together on May 30 for a Farewell Celebration at EWEB’s College Hill Reservoir before demolition and construction to build modern drinking water storage tanks begins later this year.
Find Out More -
Tips to stay cool while saving money this summer
June is quickly approaching, and that means summer weather is just around the corner. Before you turn up the air conditioning and see an increase in your utility bill, try these tips to prepare your home for warmer weather to keep your home cool.
Find Out More -
EWEB offering additional energy efficiency supplement to qualified customers
Current EWEB residential electric customers may qualify to double their energy efficiency rebates with a limited time supplement.
Find Out More -
EWEB opens application for 2024 Electric Mobility Community Grants
Grant awards of up to $30,000 to cover costs associated with electric mobility projects.
Find Out More -
Upgrades to Eugene's downtown electric network continue
You may have noticed construction this week on the corner of 7th and Pearl Street. That’s because crews replaced a corroded, aging vault with an innovative, new Voltek vault. The Voltek design allows for the new infrastructure to be built inside of the existing aging vault. We’re able to install the new vault while the cables are still energized, minimizing disruption to customers and traffic while cutting construction time in half.
Find Out More -
The Big Freeze 2024: After Action Report
Winter 2024 was one for the records books, and we'll look back on it for years to come and say, "That was a doozy!" The back-to-back January Ice Storms caused widespread damage to EWEB’s service territory, affecting approximately 38,000 customers. Preliminary repair costs were over $8 million, and additional repairs to transmission lines are still required.
Find Out More -
Fixing the Unseen: Water Pipeline Replacement in Unincorporated Eugene
Learn more about EWEB's methods for monitoring and replacing aged water pipelines.
Find Out More - Show More
Solar Energy Vision Thrives at Pearl Buck Center After Greenpower Grant Award
June 09, 2021
In 2018, the Eugene-based nonprofit made a plan to mount solar modules on a roof overhang of their preschool facility in West Eugene. The facility supports children whose parents have cognitive challenges. The organization received a $50,000 grant from EWEB's Greenpower program, and after a $10,000 discount from Advanced Energy Systems, the Pearl Buck Center was able to cover the remaining cost to install a 24-kilovolt solar array. Using solar energy has resulted in a 9% reduction in energy costs, and three years later the savings have exceeded the organization's $15,000 investment.
Greenpower Grants are funded through a voluntary subscription for EWEB customers who want to invest in local renewable energy projects. If you are an EWEB customer, you can assign up to 100% of your electricity use by paying a small premium on your electric bill. EWEB uses these Greenpower funds to support research, education, and projects that advance renewable energy, including our rooftop solar rebates.
At Pearl Buck, the preschool students got to participate in the solar panel installation, complete with a ribbon-cutting celebration when the project was complete. Children continue to learn about solar energy, and the energy data from the panels is on proud display at the entrance of the main office.
Students at the Pearl Buck Center preschool run through the ribbon at the celebration for their solar panel installation.
The clean energy vision at Pearl Buck Center doesn't end there. The success of the solar energy system has helped propel more ideas from Executive Director Margaret Theisen. She hopes to install enough panels in their parking lot area to generate a surplus of clean energy; hopefully enough energy to power the homes of the people they serve.
"We support families who are disproportionately affected by climate change due to their income level or because they live in neighborhoods without the resources to invest in the environment. So, we see generating solar energy as another way to support their health and their ability to thrive in our community," said Theisen.
Pearl Buck Center Executive Director Margaret Theisen has high hopes for clean energy after receiving a Greenpower Grant in 2018.
Another reason Theisen feels passionate about lowering the organization's carbon footprint is the interconnective relationship we all have to the global issue of climate change. "We all breathe the same air around the world," she continued. "Suspending climate change is better for the health of all our citizens. On top of all the good it does, clean energy also ultimately means the organization is spending less money on overhead, leaving more funding for services."
The Greenpower Grant program is open to tax-exempt 501(c)(3) and (4) nonprofit organizations, schools, and academic institutions, or government and other public agencies. Applications for the grant could include the installation of renewable energy systems, battery storage systems, research or studies centering on renewable energy, educational curriculum or workshop development, or carbon emission offsets. Other awardees include Friends of Trees, Eugene Science Center, and Buena Vista Elementary School. Applications for the 2021 Grant closed recently and we are excited to announce the winner(s) soon!
There's still time for you to become a Greenpower subscriber and vote on your favorite project!
For more information about Pearl Buck Center, visit pearlbuckcenter.com/