CUB Policy Center Projects

CUB Connects is a statewide consumer education project dedicated to helping Oregon consumers navigate the overwhelming options available for communications services. A major component of the project is a searchable database available at www.cubconnects.org that allows consumers to compare pricing and plans available in their area side-by-side.

The project also includes a toll free helpline and educational workshops, to connect Oregonians with assistance and information about phone and internet services. The workshops are designed to give consumers an understanding of the challenges they face in an unregulated marketplace as well as the information and tools they need to protect themselves and their budgets.  Please contact .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) for additional information.

Demand response is a type of energy program where consumer power usage is curtailed in response to a high demand for power in the electrical grid. The CUB Policy Center is currently looking broadly into what demand response technologies are available.

Such a program could also be tied to renewable power resources. For example, the utility could transmit the extra energy into water heaters by heating them up a few degrees more than normal. Similarly, if there was need for the energy stored in the water heaters, the utility could let water heaters fall in temperature a few degrees below normal. These would likely be voluntary programs for utility customers, and participants could receive some sort of credit or rebate on their bill for signing up.

Jeff Maslow, a graduate of Lewis & Clark Law School currently awaiting his Oregon Bar results, volunteered his time to begin the development of this research on demand response technologies as he was awaiting his Oregon State Bar results.

This project, launched in September 2011, is focused on the promotion of sound electric vehicle policy in Oregon. Following the selection of Oregon as a pilot state for both electric vehicles and the charging infrastructure that makes EVs feasible, there was a clear need to include consumer voices in this growing industry.

Making sure that electric vehicles are deployed in a way that is practical for early adopters and positive for the environment is the only way to fulfill their promise to consumers as a green transportation option. Understanding how electric vehicles will interact with the electrical grid is the necessary first step to effectively integrate and promote them for customer use. Our research in this area links directly to our work on the Smart Grid and demand response technologies. We are researching the possible mechanisms for pricing and power source options that will remove barriers to consumer adoption of electric vehicles.

The CUB Policy Center fundamentally believes that EVs are a great power usage match for night-generating wind power, and are committed to advancing policies that take the greatest advantage of already existing clean technology. Additionally, we believe that connecting consumers with electric vehicle policy now is the way to insure that the public interest is served long-term, as electric vehicles connect to the grid.

We’re partnering with the Confluence Environmental Center and AmeriCorps to get this project off the ground, and are delighted to have AmeriCorps member Emmaline Pohnl working with us as we engage communities throughout Oregon! Stay in touch with us as this project develops for more information on electric vehicle policy and how it impacts consumers. Please contact .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) with any inquiries about this project.

In 2011, the CUB Policy Center was pleased to announce its inaugural policy conference, serving energy professionals in the Pacific Northwest. Designed to bring together industry, environment, regulatory, and law professionals to discuss the modernization of our electrical grid, this conference evaluated the role regulation plays in Smart Grid development. This conference took place on Friday, October 21st 2011 at the University of Oregon’s White Stag Building (70 NW Couch St., Portland, OR 97209). For more information, please visit the conference website. Please contact .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) for additional information.

The CUB Policy Center is working to investigate and evaluate alternative energy resources that could effectively replace coal as baseload coal-fired plants become decommissioned. Promoting the integration of renewable energy technologies is a key issue for the Pacific Northwest as the region transitions away from power generated by coal.

We have a prime opportunity to insure that the replacement for these decommissioned plants is renewable by using the planned closing of the Boardman coal plant as a test case.  CUB was very involved in convincing Portland General Electric to close Boardman by 2020.  We’re digging into research and analysis to illustrate how to replace a modern baseload coal plant with a cleaner resource mix. By developing an inventory of available renewable power resources, and providing a comprehensive model for transition from coal, the CUB Policy Center can offer a thorough analysis of how to replace the baseload loss from decommissioned coal with a clean energy portfolio. We believe fundamentally that this is required to ensure that coal is not replaced one-to-one with natural gas and that this project represents an urgent need for the Pacific Northwest.