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Clean Energy Implementation Plan

Member Benefits Survey

In 2019 the WA legislature passed the Clean Energy Transformation Act.  This law requires your Utility to file a Clean Energy Implementation Plan.  We are looking for member input for this plan.

Clean energy is electricity that does not produce carbon or other greenhouse gases as it is generated.  Examples are Hydro, Solar, Wind, Geothermal, Renewable Natural gas or hydrogen, Tidal power, some Biodiesel fuels, or Biomass energy. 

Columbia Rural Electric Association purchases the majority of your power from the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA).  Most of that power is carbon-free, typically reported as 90% or more.  As our area’s electrical needs have increased, your Utility has purchased power on the market.  The “market” is a combination of various resources, managed by an independent market operator.  In our area, much of this generation is produced by Hydro, but sometimes it could be Wind or Natural Gas.  Columbia REA contracts for the necessary amounts to support the electricity needs of our members.

As we develop our Clean Energy Implementation Plan, we want to understand how our members view their communities and how the transition to cleaner electricity could help shape the future.
1.What are the top 3 challenges your community faces today?
Access to jobs
Affordable housing
Climate change
Education
Environmental pollution [air, water, noise]
Healthcare
High cost of living [including energy costs]
Homelessness
2.How concerned are you about climate change?
3.What potential benefits do you consider the most important? Please choose up to four.
Bring innovation and technology to my community
Create more jobs in my community
Decrease our reliance on fossil fuels
Improve the air quality in my region
Make my community more prepared for natural disasters
Make my home more comfortable
Reduce climate change impacts
Reduce personal energy consumption
Reduce the environmental impacts of the electric system
Spend less on my energy bills
4.What potential challenges concern you most? Please choose up to three.
Increase in costs resulting in potential bill increases
Potential job losses in industries that depend on fossil fuels
Potential environmental impact of source materials
Dependability of variable clean electricity sources like wind and solar
Construction impacts for new electric infrastructure
Lack of readily available information on clean electricity programs
5.Public Health
Benefits from clean electricity generation (versus coal or natural gas plants) could include reduced asthma and other diseases from improved air quality. How important are public health benefits to you?
6.What public health benefits would you like to see from cleaner electricity?
7.Environment
Benefits from clean electricity could include cleaner air, cleaner water, reduced greenhouse gas emissions and protecting culturally significant resources. How important are environmental benefits to you?
8.What environmental benefits would you like to see from cleaner electricity?
9.Economic
Benefits from clean electricity could include more jobs related to clean energy development, training programs and more work for local business in the clean energy market. How important are economic benefits to you?
10.What economic benefits would you like to see from cleaner electricity?
11.Affordability
Benefits from clean electricity could include using less electricity by upgrading buildings and appliances or reduced rates tied to the timing of electric use. How important are affordability benefits to you?
12.What affordability benefits would you like to see from cleaner electricity?
13.Clean Electricity Participation
Benefits from clean electricity could include installing solar panels, or solar panels with battery storage, for your home or business or sharing solar panels with your community. How important are clean electricity participation benefits to you?
14.What clean electricity benefits would you like to see from cleaner electricity?
15.Accessibility
Benefits from clean electricity could include assistance paying utility bills and in conserving electricity through home weatherization or other actions. How important are accessibility benefits to you?
16.What accessibility benefits would you like to see from cleaner electricity?
17.Energy Resiliency
 Benefits from clean electricity could include the ability to generate your own electricity after a major emergency or natural disaster.How important are energy resiliency benefits to you?
18.What energy resiliency benefits would you like to see from cleaner electricity?
19.Comfort and satisfaction
Benefits from clean electricity could include feeling comfortable in your home due to weatherization improvements, having a sense of self-sufficiency or a sense of helping address environmental challenges in your community. How important are comfort and satisfaction benefits to you?
20.What comfort and satisfaction benefits would you like to see from cleaner electricity?
21.When you think about the clean electricity future, which values are most important to help your community thrive? Please rank the options below in order of more important to less important .
Highest importance
Mid
Lowest importance
Public health
Environment
Economic
Affordability
Clean Electricity Participation
Accessibility
Energy Resiliency
Comfort and Satisfaction
22.Are there other values or benefits not previously listed that are part of your vision for an equitable and clean electricity future in your community?
23.Access to Member Programs
Columbia Rural Electric Association is working to increase participation in our existing energy programs, such as energy efficiency upgrades, including weatherization and utility bill assistance. How can we help you (and others) participate in clean energy programs? 
Select all that apply.
Help me understand if I qualify for programs
Help me understand the benefits of participating in clean electricity programs
Design programs for people who rent their homes
Provide (or increase) financial incentives for members to participate
Simplify the application process
Reduce or remove up-front costs, if applicable
24.About You
Please tell us about yourself to help us understand who we're hearing from. This is for informational purposes only and will remain anonymous. Are you a Columbia REA member?
25.What ZIP code do you live in? 
26.What age group are you in?
27.What language(s) do you speak at home?
English
Spanish
28.Including yourself, how many people currently live in your household?
29.Which category best describes your 2020 total household income before taxes?
30.Do you own or rent your home?
Own
Rent
Current Progress,
0 of 30 answered