Bonneville Environmental Foundation

Programs: Renewable energy program: the foundation develops and promotes both short and long-term strategies for the advancement of renewable energy and the destruction of greenhouse gas emissions. By promoting and marketing renewable energy certificates ("recs") and carbon offsets ("offsets") the program supports the development of both large and small-scale renewable energy projects using wind, solar, geothermal, and biogas resources. During the year bef delivered 317,412 recs and 207,967 offsets to its utility, business, government, and nonprofit customers. The foundation also invests in the research and development of innovative solar, small-hydro, and biomass projects around the country by managing siting, evaluation, installation, and monitoring of new projects on behalf of funding organizations and other project partners. During the year bef funded and provided services to 8 utility sponsored community solar projects, a utility scale solar project, development of three small-hydro projects, the oregon solarize residential program, a large biomass torrefaction project, and collaborated on the development of cutting edge projects with the cities of the dalles and hood river, upper columbia united tribes, the oregon clean power cooperative, and the treasure state electric cooperative.

renewable energy education: the foundation's solar 4r schools program delivers a stem based energy education program throughout the country that is funded by corporations, utilities, and other foundation partners who are interested in supporting a community-based, interactive energy education program that delivers direct benefits to the communities within which they reside and operate. During the course of the year, solar 4r schools reached 128 school districts in 11 states, 450 teachers and 250 schools, and provided benefits for 51,000 students through teacher training workshops, curriculum development labs, stem conferences, and student engineering challenges. In 2016, the solar 4r schools program was selected by the center for resource solutions as the winner of the national epa green power leadership award for leadership in green power education.

watershed restoration program: the foundation supports the restoration of damaged watershed ecosystems. Through its model watershed program, the foundation directly supports science-based watershed restoration initiatives that demonstrate strong community engagement and employ a long-term monitoring-intensive restoration approach. Through the creation and promotion of water restoration certificates ("wrcs") the foundation quantifies the volumetric benefits of water restoration projects that it funds throughout the country and provides a turnkey solution for corporations and other organizations to balance their water usage. During the year the foundation delivered 2,332,715 wrcs representing 2,332,715,000 gallons of water restored to critically dewatered rivers and streams. The foundation's change the course campaign brings together the public, corporations, and on-the-ground conservation organizations to raise awareness about freshwater, reduce water footprints, and restore flows and health to vital freshwater ecosystems. During the year the campaign engaged more than 182,000 people who pledged to conserve water and restored more than 3 billion gallons of water to critically dewatered ecosystems.