Eugene passed a bill to restrict natural gas in new residential construction. Learn more here.

By Nathan Wilk (KLCC)

Natural gas infrastructure will be banned in new low-rise residential buildings in Eugene.

City Council passed the surprise resolution 5-3 Monday night, during a discussion on whether to send the issue to the ballot.

Developers will have to use electric appliances and power when building new residences of three stories or less. The ordinance applies to building permits submitted on or after June 30, and it does not affect existing buildings.

Eugene will be the first city in Oregon with…

A new renewable energy plant, and the first of its kind, is being commissioned in Lexington, OR. Learn more about it here.

By GILLIAN FLACCUS, Associated Press

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — A renewable energy plant being commissioned in Oregon on Wednesday that combines solar power, wind power and massive batteries to store the energy generated there is the first utility-scale plant of its kind in North America.

The project, which will generate enough electricity to power a small city at maximum output, addresses a key challenge facing the utility industry as the U.S. transitions away from fossil fuels and increasingly turns to solar and wind farms for power. Wind and solar are clean sources of power, but utilities have been forced…