Supporters cheer Bend councilors’ approval of commitment to ‘fossil fuel-free’ city-owned buildings

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — In an important step toward fulfilling their Community Climate Action Plan, Bend city councilors passed a resolution Wednesday night committing to building all new or significantly renovated city-owned buildings with pollution-free electric equipment, rather than fossil fuels, supporters of the move said.

The resolution, which received unanimous support from the council, also commits to upgrading existing city-owned buildings with electric equipment where financially feasible, the group Energize Bend noted in a news release Thursday. 

At the meeting, Councilor Barb Campbell said, “I just think this is a great way for us to show the community that this is possible. And it’s not some big government imposition when you need to do this. It’s attainable, we’ve already done it before… I’m really in support of this”.

This decision follows a summer of large wildfires that saw Bend frequently dealing with dangerous air quality levels, affecting local residents and the tourism industry. This year in Oregon, almost 1.8 million acres have burned, the most since record-keeping began. Homes and buildings are a major source of the planet-warming carbon pollution that is fueling more dangerous and frequent wildfires.

The resolution warns that a failure to immediate action is needed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions would “exacerbate the impacts to the natural and human environments that have already started to manifest in the state.”

“The city of Bend is committed to bold action on climate, and this resolution is an important step forward for our community. With this commitment, and the new Public Works Campus going all electric, it also reinforces that all electric buildings are affordable, and feasible in our community,” said Neil Baunsgard, Climate and Transportation Policy Manager at the Environmental Center.

Burning fossil fuels like gas in homes and buildings is also a significant source of outdoor air pollution in Oregon, responsible for more smog-forming nitrogen oxide (NOx) pollution than power plants. Gas appliances are also a source of indoor air pollution, a recent study attributed 12.7% of all US childhood asthma cases to gas stove use.  Bend’s new resolution will cut dangerous pollution by ensuring that new city-owned buildings are equipped with pollution-free electric alternatives like heat pumps.

“This resolution will send a signal to our community, and to communities across the state, that we need to eliminate fossil fuels from our buildings through electrification to meaningfully reduce greenhouse gas emissions,” said Brennan Breen, a volunteer with the Deschutes Youth Climate Coalition.

Members of the local community joined the council meeting to support and applaud the council’s decision, which will not only reduce emissions but also will cut costs. According to a study by Synapse energy, homes with energy efficient electric appliances save roughly 13% annually over those that used gas heating in Bend.

In 2023, the Energize Bend coalition formed to support the transition to clean and renewable energy to promote public health, affordable energy, good jobs, and a livable planet. The coalition includes groups like the Deschutes Youth Climate Coalition, Fridays for Future Bend, The Environment Center, Central Oregon Conservation Network, Citizens Climate Lobby Bend, Climate Reality Project Central Oregon Chapter, and the support of many other regional and statewide groups.

“This resolution hits on many areas of concern in our community, including public health and the economy. High efficiency, electric appliances, like those that will go into city buildings moving forward, will save the city money and allow them to lead by example during this vital shift to clean renewable energy,” said Kristi Kimball, co-founder of Energize Bend.