Oregon’s 19th Century Energy Strategy
By John A. Charles, Jr. Recently the Oregon Department of Energy (ODOE) published…
Read Blog DetailCategory: Environment
Oregon’s Electric Vehicle Policy Fail
By John Charles On September 15, the Oregon Department of Energy (ODOE) released…
Read Blog Detail
Tina Kotek’s Energy Policy: Whichever Way the Wind Blows
By Maxwell Powers Governor Tina Kotek has long expressed support for wind power….
Read Blog Detail
“What Does It Cost?” Film by Discovery Institute Exposes the West Coast Climate Agenda
This summer, Cascade’s summer Research Associates reviewed a film produced by the Discovery…
Read Blog Detail
Well Permitting Fees (HB 2808), Not Taxpayer Bailouts (HB 2165), Should Fund Oregon Water Resources Shortfall
By Madilynne Clark Should permitting agencies receive increased funds? If budget increases are…
Read Blog Detail
Amended Bill 3103-1 Would Hold ODF Accountable to Fulfill Its Promises on Sustainable Timber Sales
By Madilynne Clark Over-promising and under-delivering has been the habit of Oregon Department…
Read Blog Detail
House Bills on Oregon Water Resources to Double Dip Taxpayers
By Madilynne Clark House Bill 2808 and House Bill 2165 seek to address…
Read Blog Detail
Oregon Department of Forestry’s Bad Habit: Over Promise, Under Deliver
By Madilynne Clark Over-promising and under-delivering has been the habit of Oregon Department…
Read Blog Detail
Amending the Constitution Is Not a Children’s Game
By John A. Charles, Jr. A decade ago, 21 youth plaintiffs in Oregon…
Read Blog Detail
Testimony: HB3792-3 Consumer Protection for Utility Ratepayers
March 28, 2025 Rep. Nathan SosaChair, House Commerce and Consumer Protection CommitteeOregon State…
Read Blog Detail
Nuclear Energy Testimony
February 26, 2025 House Committee on Climate, Energy and EnvironmentOregon State CapitolSalem, OR…
Read Blog Detail
DEQ’s Plan to Raise the Cost of Driving Should Be Cancelled
By John A. Charles, Jr. On November 21, the Oregon Environmental Quality Commission…
Read Blog Detail
The Closing of Boardman Coal Plant and the Hubris of Fossil Fuel Opponents
By Sam Herrin July 2024 In 1975, the state of Oregon issued permits…
Read Blog Detail
The nuclear comeback skips Oregon
By John A. Charles, Jr. On October 14, Google announced that it will…
Read Blog Detail
Testimony: DEQ Climate Protection Plan
September 27, 2024 Ms. Nicole SinghOregon Department of Environmental QualityCPP.20244@deq.oregon.gov Re: Comments on…
Read Blog Detail
DEQ’s plan to suffocate Oregon’s economy
John A. Charles, Jr. This week the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ)…
Read Blog Detail
More humility needed
By A. John Charles, Jr. Environmental advocates who demand that we buy certain…
Read Blog Detail
Rising Costs and Diminishing Returns
By Brittany Hjelte The Oregon Legislature has mandated that large utilities deliver 100%…
Read Blog Detail
Is Affordable, Reliable Electricity a Service of the Past?
By Brittany Hjelte Oregon politicians banned the use of coal for electricity generation…
Read Blog Detail
Zero-emissions? Not Really
By Emily Schutte When an Electric Vehicle is marketed as “zero-emission,” consumers expect…
Read Blog Detail
PPS Climate Policy Is All Cost, No Benefit
By John A. Charles, Jr. At its May 7th meeting, the Portland Public…
Read Blog Detail
Oregon’s Reliance on Fossil Fuels Is Growing, Not Shrinking
By John A. Charles, Jr. During the holidays, the Oregon Department of Energy…
Read Blog Detail
Quantifying the Unreliability of Wind and Solar Power in the Northwest
By Eric Fruits, Ph.D. Executive Summary Over the next decade, Oregon and much…
Read Blog Detail
Oregon’s Assault on the Grid
By John A. Charles, Jr. In 2000, the electricity grid was named the…
Read Blog Detail
Policy Picnic – Oregon’s Disappearing Electricity Supply
Please join Cascade Policy Institute for our Policy Picnic featuring CEO John Charles…
Read Blog Detail
Offshore Wind Takes a Blow
By Joshua Schutte Lawmakers and activists across the country continue to push for…
Read Blog Detail
Testimony of Eric Fruits, Ph.D. Submitted to Portland City Council
September 19, 2023 Re: Agenda Item 798—Portland Clean Energy Community Benefits Fund (PCEF)…
Read Blog Detail
Portland’s $750 million climate slush fund
By John A. Charles, Jr. In 2018, local voters approved the creation of…
Read Blog Detail
Oregon Should Let Voters Reconsider Clean Nuclear Power
By Micah DeSilva For over 40 years, Oregon has outlawed the construction of…
Read Blog Detail
Let Oregon Voters Reconsider Nuclear Power
By Micah DeSilva Earlier this year, Oregon lawmakers proposed legislation allowing voters to reconsider their 1980 decision to effectively ban construction of new nuclear…
Read Blog Detail
Oregon’s 2040 Electric Utility Mandates Rely on Future Technology–or Buying Electricity from Other States
By Micah DeSilva Two years ago, the Oregon Legislature passed House Bill 2021,…
Read Blog Detail
Metro Nature Parks are Hidden by Design
By John A. Charles, Jr. In June the elected Auditor for Metro published…
Read Blog Detail
Politicians Should Stick to Politics and Leave Technology Alone
By John A. Charles, Jr. Just four days before legislative adjournment, House Bill…
Read Blog Detail
Letter to Senate Committee on Environment and Energy
February 27, 2023 Senate Committee on Environment and EnergyOregon LegislatureSalem, Oregon Dear Committee…
Read Blog Detail
Testimony of Eric Fruits Before the House Committee on Climate, Energy, and Environment in Support of HB 3002
Eric Fruits, Ph.D.Vice President of ResearchCascade Policy Institute Support for HB 3002 re:…
Read Blog Detail
Oregon Must Stop Outsourcing Policymaking to California’s Unelected Bureaucrats
By Eric Fruits, Ph.D. At the end of last year, the Oregon Environmental…
Read Blog Detail
Oregon Environmental Policy Now Controlled by California
By John A. Charles, Jr. On December 19, Oregon’s Environmental Quality Commission voted…
Read Blog Detail
Small Steps Toward the Stone Age: Biden’s Gas Stove Ban
By Eric Fruits, Ph.D. My, how time flies. Just last month, I warned…
Read Blog Detail
A Holiday Wishlist for Oregon
By Eric Fruits, Ph.D. ‘Tis the season for holiday wishes. And, toward that…
Read Blog Detail
Multnomah County Is Going “Ban”-anas
By Eric Fruits, Ph.D. First they banned styrofoam, then last week they banned…
Read Blog Detail
Magical Thinking Won’t Fill the Fuel Tank
By Eric Fruits, Ph.D. Portland is a world leader in magical thinking on…
Read Blog Detail
For Oregon’s New Governor, Great Power Comes with Great Responsibility
By Eric Fruits, Ph.D. It’s the day after Election Day and the votes…
Read Blog Detail
Oregon Needs a Free-Market Makeover
By Eric Fruits, Ph.D “What’s the one thing you’d do to fix Oregon?”…
Read Blog Detail
Kate Brown’s Parting Gift
By John A. Charles, Jr. The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality is accepting…
Read Blog Detail
Oregon Legislature Should End the GET Green Energy Fiasco
By Eric Fruits, Ph.D. It seems everywhere you look, “clean energy” is in…
Read Blog Detail
Gotta Get Rid of the GET Green Energy Boondoggle
By Eric Fruits, Ph.D. It seems everywhere you look, “clean energy” is in…
Read Blog Detail
Solar Panels in a Dark Room
By Taylor Marks In 2014, Fire Station 21, located on SE Madison St….
Read Blog Detail
TriMet’s Electric Bus Plans Could Burst into Flames
By Mia Tiwana Connecticut’s bus service just pulled its entire fleet of electric…
Read Blog Detail
Portland’s Clean Energy Fund Didn’t Deserve a Green Light
By James Swyter and Mia Tiwana This month, Portland City Council approved $118…
Read Blog Detail
This Green Fund Doesn’t Deserve a Green Light
By Mia Tiwana Have you heard of the Portland Clean Energy Fund? Portlanders…
Read Blog Detail
Fossil Fuels Are Not Going Anywhere
By John A. Charles, Jr. Many Oregon politicians have convinced themselves that we…
Read Blog Detail
Testimony of John Charles to Portland Public School Board on the Proposed Climate Crisis Response, Climate Justice, and Sustainable Practices Policy
By John A. Charles, Jr. March 1, 2022Rosanne Powell, Senior Board ManagerPortland Public…
Read Blog Detail
Local governments seeking to ban natural gas are willfully ignoring Oregon voters.
By Rachel Dawson Think the natural gas industry is dying? The latest data…
Read Blog Detail
Oregon is falling behind other states in the race for advanced nuclear power
By Rachel Dawson The era of small-modular nuclear reactors (SMRs) is upon us,…
Read Blog Detail
Utilities should plan on using firm, reliable resources during peak events
By Rachel Dawson Portland General Electric is living a virtual power plant pipe…
Read Blog Detail
Innovation, not regulation, is the most effective way to control GHG emissions
By Rachel Dawson Governor Kate Brown has joined other state and national representatives…
Read Blog Detail
A Once-in-a-Lifetime Opportunity to Shake Up Metro
By Eric Fruits, Ph.D. With the retirement of Bob Stacey earlier this month,…
Read Blog Detail
PacifiCorp can do more to prevent future blackouts
By Rachel Dawson Environmental groups including the Sierra Club and Western Resource Advocates…
Read Blog Detail
Oregon’s New “Clean Energy” Law Is a Fraud
By John A. Charles, Jr. Politicians have a lot in common with magicians….
Read Blog Detail
Oregon’s 2021 Energy Regulations Are Already Hurting Consumers
By Rachel Dawson Did you just have an order for a desktop computer…
Read Blog Detail
Portland Parks are Wrecked
(Photo is a stock photo.) By Stew Robertson You would think Portland Parks…
Read Blog Detail
Press Release: Heat Wave Highlights Fatal Flaws of Wind Power
July 9, 2021 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Media Contact:John A. Charles, Jr.President & CEOCascade…
Read Blog Detail
Time to Put the Brakes on Kate Brown’s Electric Vehicle Goal
By John A. Charles, Jr. President Biden is proposing to spend $174 billion…
Read Blog Detail
A new loss of load probability heightens concerns over the Northwest’s power grid
By Rachel Dawson The race is on for a reliable power grid. A…
Read Blog Detail
Dams and Fish Can Live Together, Thanks to Whooshh
By Rachel Dawson Should we breach Northwest hydropower dams to replenish native fish…
Read Blog Detail
Hydroelectric power is renewable; it’s time legislators recognize that
By Rachel Dawson Oregon has always been a national leader in providing clean…
Read Blog Detail
Oregon Legislators Should Vote Yes on Nuclear Power
By Rachel Dawson Oregon is home to NuScale Power, the nation’s leading small…
Read Blog Detail
SolarWorld factory closure is the latest among government subsidy mistakes
By Rachel Dawson Should governments use taxpayer dollars to support select companies of…
Read Blog Detail
To ensure the lights stay on, Oregon needs a robust portfolio of energy resources
By Rachel Dawson Recent freezing temperatures and power outages in both Oregon and…
Read Blog Detail
Make Oregon the Opportunity State
By Eric Fruits, Ph.D. Oregonians blame Californians for many of our state’s woes….
Read Blog Detail
Willamette Cove Is the Reset Button Metro Needs
By Helen Doran What does an old industrial site from World War II…
Read Blog Detail
Why are we still paying a “temporary” energy tax 19 years later?
By John A. Chalres. Jr. Every month when you pay your electricity bill,…
Read Blog Detail
The Region’s New Transfer Station Means Frills and Bills
By Vlad Yurlov Would you like to have a nice picnic near a…
Read Blog Detail
Oregon’s “Public Purpose” Energy Tax: Mission Accomplished, or Mission Creep?
By John A Charles, Jr. and Rachel Dawson EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Oregon Public…
Read Blog Detail
Wind turbines are not a bird’s best friend. Black paint may be able to help.
By Rachel Dawson The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service estimates up to 500,000…
Read Blog Detail
The Boardman Coal Plant Closed. Now What?
By Rachel Dawson On Thursday, October 15, Portland General Electric pulled the plug…
Read Blog Detail
Cascade Policy Institute Responds to the Early Closure of the Boardman Coal Plant
October 19, 2020 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Media Contact: Rachel Dawson (503) 242-0900 rachel@cascadepolicy.org…
Read Blog Detail
Oregon’s NuScale is one step further to providing states with clean, reliable energy
By Rachel Dawson Oregon’s very own NuScale Power, a company developing small-modular nuclear…
Read Blog Detail
California Blackouts Show the Need for Reliable Hydropower
By Rachel Dawson Recent blackouts in California have demonstrated the need for reliable…
Read Blog Detail
California blackouts serve as a warning to Oregon officials
By Rachel Dawson California’s recent blackouts should serve as a warning to officials…
Read Blog Detail
The nuclear waste reality that popular media loves to ignore
By Rachel Dawson Did you ever watch the Simpsons and think nuclear waste…
Read Blog Detail
Energy Reform Is Needed to Combat Rising Energy Bills in Oregon
By Rachel Dawson After 42 years, the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act (PURPA)…
Read Blog Detail
The hidden truth behind the Renewable Energy Certificate market
By Rachel Dawson You may have noticed companies and public agencies using the…
Read Blog Detail
Think renewable energy is infallible? Michael Moore’s film “Planet of the Humans” says to think again
By Rachel Dawson Despite the claims of environmentalists promoting wind and solar energy,…
Read Blog Detail
Small Modular Reactors Are Not the 20th-Century Nuclear Plants We’re Familiar With
By Rachel Dawson Oregon, it’s about time we talk about nuclear power. No,…
Read Blog Detail
Kate Brown is out of touch if she thinks an executive order is needed to reduce emissions
By Rachel Dawson Oregon’s Governor Kate Brown responded to the Republican walk-out and…
Read Blog Detail
The Grid Is Not a Tinker Toy
By John A. Charles, Jr. Rarely has Oregon’s lack of political leadership been…
Read Blog Detail
Oregon is meeting its 2020 GHG emissions goals, depending on how you measure it
By Rachel Dawson Is Oregon meeting its 2020 greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction…
Read Blog Detail
Why are rural, low-income residents subsidizing Teslas for Oregon’s urban elite?
By Rachel Dawson Oregon state officials recently celebrated helping the state reach 25,000…
Read Blog Detail
Think TriMet’s New Electric Buses Run on Wind Power? Think Again.
By Rachel Dawson TriMet unveiled five new battery-electric buses (BEBs) in April 2019,…
Read Blog Detail
You and Your Car: Portland Public Enemy No. 1
By Micah Perry Driving around Portland could get a lot more expensive. The…
Read Blog Detail
Portland’s Clean Energy Tax: A High Cost with Low Benefit
By Rachel Dawson In January 2019 the City of Portland implemented a voter-approved…
Read Blog Detail
Portland’s Ill-Considered Climate Action Tax
By Micah Perry Last fall, Portland voters approved a new 1% tax on…
Read Blog Detail
SW Corridor Project: A Net Negative for the Environment
By John A. Charles, Jr. Portland politicians claim to be concerned about carbon…
Read Blog Detail
Our Most Pressing Environmental Crisis Is at Home
By Miranda Bonifield Oregon’s most pressing environmental crisis isn’t in forests or renewable…
Read Blog Detail
Cap and Trade in Oregon: All Pain, No Gain
By Eric Fruits, Ph.D. The Oregon legislature is expected to pass a carbon cap-and-trade…
Read Blog Detail
Proof by Assertion
By John A. Charles, Jr. Many Portland drivers probably wonder why there are…
Read Blog Detail
Kate Brown’s Environmental Showmanship Has No Substance
By John A. Charles, Jr. Governor Kate Brown has announced a legislative proposal…
Read Blog Detail
Plastic Straw Ban Isn’t Environmentalism—It’s Virtue Signaling
By Miranda Bonifield What’s the deal with plastic straws? Heartbreaking images of sea…
Read Blog Detail
Climate Change Alarmists Can’t Get Their Story Straight
By John A. Charles, Jr. Relying on computer models to predict the future…
Read Blog Detail