At EWEB, we factor climate change into almost everything we do. As Eugene’s publicly-owned utility, we strive to fulfill our roles reducing our community’s carbon footprint, optimizing our use of clean energy, and helping our watershed adapt to a warmer climate.
We are ready to deal with the stress that extreme heat may place on our electric system. We encourage customers to be prepared, stay cool and hydrated and practice safety by developing an emergency plan and checking in on neighbors.
To help prevent tree-related electrical outages and mitigate wildfire risk, we proactively prune trees and remove brush year-round to help keep our equipment clear. Each year, crews trim more than 300 overhead line miles of vegetation to minimize falling trees and branches to avoid outages and increase the reliability of the electric system.
EWEB is now accepting applications for the 2021 Greenpower Grants, worth up to $50,000 each to fund high-impact projects that increase the use of renewable energy sources, the adoption of emerging technologies, clean energy education and/or reduce or offset our community’s carbon footprint.
As Texas struggles to restore electricity to millions, locals may be wondering if a similar crisis could happen here, and what utility operators and individuals can do to prepare for unprecedented weather events.