Energy Trust sponsors RARE community development resources in Central, Southern Oregon

Energy Trust is sponsoring two through a University of Oregon program that positions recent college graduates in rural neighborhoods throughout Oregon to support financial, ecological and social neighborhood advancement.
Members are positioned with local firms, generally nonprofit companies or regional federal governments. Typically, there are more than 25 RARE members embedded throughout the state each year, working in areas that range from water quality to food insecurity, and now, disaster healing and energy.
RARE members spend at least 1,700 hours over an 11-month term serving full time with their host firm.
” Through the placement of our dedicated and driven members we have completed many neighborhood and economic advancement projects, each customized to meet local or local requirements determined by our community partners. But obviously, we cant do this work alone, and thats where our fantastic statewide partners concern play,” stated Titus Tomlinson, RARE program director.
Energy Trust has actually worked with RARE members for more than a years, helping supply details on energy effectiveness and eco-friendly energy to support Energy Trust supplies moneying to the host organization and training and guidance to the RARE member to assist them link their neighborhoods utility customers with Energy Trust programs and services. For rural consumers served by PGE, Pacific Power, NW Natural, Cascade Natural Gas and Avista, this rural-focused co-funding partnership constructs local capability supporting Energy Trust program involvement and, ultimately, consumer utility bill savings and other clean energy advantages.
” Working with organizations like Energy Trust of Oregon brings a level of expertise and assistance that assists us discover success. Its through partnerships, partnerships and working together that we find success in our work,” Tomlinson included.
This year, Energy Trust sponsored members are situated in Bend and Jackson County:

In Bend, the RARE member will support neighborhood energy preparation by developing a toolkit utilizing Deschutes County as a design for other rural communities. The RARE member will be hosted by The Environmental Center and get support from Sustainable Northwest.
In Jackson County, the RARE member, hosted by Rogue Climate and supported by the Oregon Community Foundation, will concentrate on providing help for countless Southern Oregonians impacted by the Labor Day wildfires of 2020. Particularly, they will help locals access opportunities for solar and energy efficiency in restoring, with a focus on rental homes, produced houses and housing for low-income locals.
Energy Trust will likewise continue to deal with the RARE member in Lakeview who started last year to assist landowners gain access to federal renewable resource grants. They are being hosted by Lake County Resources Initiative.

“The RAREs we deal with concentrate on community-related energy problems, typically energy effectiveness and renewable resource generation. They bring required capacity to these companies, and advance tasks to conserve energy and create tidy energy in rural Oregon for utility consumers,” stated Karen Chase, Energy Trusts senior outreach supervisor in Southern Oregon.
Energy Trust outreach staff provide training and act as a resource by meeting with all RARE members who concentrate on or have an interest in energy concerns. These monthly conferences typically expand the scope for the members to help them link energy to related neighborhood issues, such as air quality, downtown redevelopment, and disaster and wildfire healing. In addition, Energy Trusts outreach personnel likewise collaborate with members on community occasions, outreach and other activities, and make connections to regional energy agents and other neighborhood partners.