Rye Development executive Erik Steimle held a Friday talk at his alma mater
By Steven Mitchell for Ashland.news
A Southern Oregon University graduate and executive of a company developing renewable energy projects said the state is making significant strides toward a 100% clean electricity goal by 2040.
Still, challenges remain to change Oregon’s energy infrastructure, according to Erik Steimle, chief development executive of Rye Development, a Portland company.
Steimle, who graduated from SOU in 2000 with a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Biology, said during a university discussion held Friday, May 16 that the state’s three major utility companies — Portland General Electric, Pacific Power, and Idaho Power — are actively working to transition away from fossil fuels, with a mix of wind, solar, and energy storage projects. Key legislative efforts, including Executive Order 20-04 and House Bill 2021, drive the state’s…
