Climate Activists Urge Bend to Electrify Buildings

Young climate activists participated in a sit-in at a Dec. 4 city council meeting, urging councilors to pass electrification policies to address the impact of gas-powered infrastructure. The climate strike, hosted by the Deschutes Youth Climate Coalition, took place before a planned discussion on policy options for encouraging electrification in buildings — the process of converting buildings to use electric appliances as opposed to those running on natural gas or other fossil fuels.

“We’d love to see the city stop building fossil fuel infrastructure and to implement policies that will help folks phase out gas appliances in favor of electric appliances,” Nora Harren with 350 Deschutes, a climate advocacy group, told the Source Weekly.

On Dec. 4, Bend City Council set out to focus on a narrower set of policies for further research and possible implementation.

The process, rooted in achieving city climate goals, began with research and input from stakeholders and climate activists, who recommended city policies such as incentives, education and support programs, building codes and local regulations.

According to Harren, buildings are the number one source of greenhouse gas emissions. A city greenhouse and emissions inventory found that residential energy made up a third, 28%, of local emissions, with heating being the biggest use of natural gas.

The Environment and Climate Committee claims the least expensive and easiest time to implement electric appliances is in new construction.

After looking over the policy options on Wednesday, city councilors supported electrification outreach and education programs and planned for roundtable meetings with various committees to provide a recommendation to the city in March.

“I’m proud of council for moving forward. I’m really glad to see some of our advocacy pay off, and to see them take some steps in the right direction. But much more is needed,” Freddy Finney-Jordet, a member of the Deschutes Youth Climate Coalition, told the Source Weekly.

Various organizations, including 350 Deschutes, the Youth Climate Coalition and Energize Bend, all in attendance on Dec. 4, have collectively advocated for months to get electrification policies on the table, attending committee meetings, testifying and emailing to show support.

“Pretty much all of this has been a grassroots movement. The vast majority of advocacy has been citizens in Bend that are concerned about climate change and concerned about wildfires and public health,” Harren said.

While activists say they are happy to see progress at the city level, some hoped for more bold and effective regulatory action. Still, Finney-Jordet feels encouraged that the city will continue to include environmental activists and committee members in future decision-making.

This article appears in The Source Weekly December 5, 2024.