The Lane County Energy Round-Up will host its second public energy forum tonight at the First United Methodist Church. The event is intended to provide environmental activists with a chance to voice their opinions on local energy concerns.
Attendees will be divided into smaller groups to discuss about 15 energy- and sustainability-related topics, director Kathy Ging said.
Topics of discussion will include reducing Oregon’s dependence on coal energy and exploring the possibilities of solar energy, Ging said. Both of those will likely work closely with some of the area’s six publicly owned utilities, including the Eugene Water and Electric Board.
“We’re kind of like an island of public utility here in Lane County,” Ging said. “If we show that we can be a crown jewel of sustainability, then hopefully we can influence the private utilities to change.”
The event will also include presentations by activists from around the state and Lane County Commissioner Pete Sorenson. Last month, the first such forum drew a crowd of more than 200 to the event.
The public format allowing anyone to contribute adds valuable input to the discussions, Ging said. She added that the forum provides an opportunity for people to fill what she feels is a void of leadership in an increasingly visible issue.
“I think we get a lot of people who realize they can change their energy future,” she said.
-Eric Florip