Northwest Natural Gas's Smart Energy program advertises itself as a way for customers to “offset” their natural gas emissions by funding projects that the company says “reduce, or prevent the release of, greenhouse gases.” But in fact, as customers found out, Smart Energy funds go to methane digesters that actually promote increased pollution, at factory farms like Boardman, Oregon's Threemile Canyon Dairy.
Last October a lawsuit was filed by Northwest Natural's customers over misleading claims at the heart of the Smart Energy program, which the plaintiffs in this class action claim is a ‘greenwashed’ breach of contract under Oregon law and violates the state’s prohibition on unfair and deceptive marketing claims.
On this episode of Locus Focus we talk with Skye Walker and Kelsey Eberly, with FarmSTAND, who is representing the plaintiffs in this case.
On another note, this is a request from the Northwest Forest Alliance to help stop another lithium mine being proposed in SE Oregon:
This past Wednesday, Trump’s BLM announced a *5 day* comment period for the enviro assessment for the proposed Hi Tech Lithium mine in OR/NV. This is one of the mines People of Red Mountain and the Northern Paiute have been resisting, because it would destroy tribal sacred sites to supply Tesla batteries and data centers. Likely this sudden and offensively short comment period is a result of Trump's recent executive order on mining/critical minerals. They’re asking folks to help submit comments and share it around urgently. Comment period closes Monday.
For More info:
About the comment period/mine: https://www.opb.org/article/2025/03/26/blm-rushes-review-oregon-lithium-mine/
PRM website: https://peopleofredmountain.com/ and https://peopleofredmountain.com/about-us/ has language about the mine folks can pull from.
Where to comment:
https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/home
You click on Hi-Tech Lithium Mine in Oregon > Participate Now
Or you can email BLM_OR_VL_LithiumHiTech@blm.gov
Also Saturday, April 5 is a national day of action to stop Trump and Musk's ravaging of democracy: There will be 25 rallies and marches throughout Oregon including three in the Portland area.