Overpromising and under-delivering has been the habit of Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) for decades, with businesses, counties, and towns struggling to weather the financial hardships of ODF’s inconsistent timber sales. House Bill 3103 with the -1 amendment seeks to address these concerns by requiring ODF to establish sustainable harvest levels (SHL) on state forest […]
On October 14, Google announced that it will finance the construction of seven small nuclear reactors in the U.S. built by energy start-up Kairos Power. The agreement will provide 500 megawatts of clean, reliable electricity to feed Google’s growing need for data centers. This follows on the September 20th announcement by Microsoft and Constellation Energy […]
Environmental advocates who demand that we buy certain products rarely seem concerned about cost. But earlier this week, New York Times reporter Christopher Flavelle wrote about his experience last July replacing his home air conditioner with a heat pump. As a “climate” reporter, he felt obligated to buy the heat pump based on claims that […]
The Oregon Convention Center (OCC) was opened in 1990 with the backing of Metro, the Portland regional government. It was opened to create more economic growth opportunities in Portland. In 2003 the convention center was underperforming, and Metro made the decision to upgrade. This renovation came with the promise of generating surplus revenue. Unfortunately, the […]
The Oregon Legislature has mandated that large utilities deliver 100% emissions-free electricity by 2040. Since coal and natural gas account for more than 45% of Oregon’s electricity generation, replacing those fuels with emission-free alternatives will be difficult. Moreover, the closer Oregon gets to 100% reduction, the more expensive it will get. This challenge stems from […]
The modernization of Benson Polytechnic High School is nearing completion. Originally budgeted for $202 million in 2016 and funded by a voter-approved bond in 2017, the scope of the project was subsequently expanded along with the cost. The revised budget, partially paid for through another bond in 2020, was $410 million. Part of the problem […]
Cities in Oregon are required to have Urban Growth Boundaries (UGBs). However, those boundaries are not supposed to be permanent limits to urban expansion. UGBs are required to include enough land to allow for adequate housing over a 20-year period. The Portland regional government, known as Metro, is in the process of analyzing the need […]
The Portland Expo Center has been serving our region through trade shows and local events for nearly 60 years. However, the facility has been under-maintained, and in 2019 upgrades to the Oregon Convention Center made the Expo Center obsolete. The Expo Center is operated by Metro, which is looking for alternative uses for that site. […]
Children are unique, with different talents, interests, and learning styles. A school that works well for one child doesn’t necessarily meet the needs of another. What if all students could attend schools that helped them learn best? Empowering parents to choose the best educational environments for their children is called school choice. School choice programs […]
Worries about the Cascadia Subduction Zone have persisted for the last 50 years. Oregon school districts have considered the possibility of a major earthquake as they build and renovate existing structures. In line with this approach, the Portland Public School district has embarked on a decades-long modernization project, most recently the proposed $491 million modernization […]