CUB Policy Center Outreach and Education Projects
With three current projects, including CUB Connects, a phone and internet help center; Electric Vehicles workshops and forums; and our inaugural policy conference devoted to the Smart Grid, the CUB Policy Center practices our belief that connecting communities with public policy is in the public interest.
Policy Conference
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.
CUB Connects
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.
Electric Vehicles in Oregon
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.
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