The People of ELAW: Jennifer Gleason

Jennifer is collaborating with grassroots advocates around the world to advance energy policies that encourage people to generate energy from renewable sources.  This innovative approach is succeeding in Germany, where Feed-in-Tariff policies (FITs) have Germany on track to reduce C02 emissions by 40% by 2020.

Feed-in-Tariff policies have proven to be the most effective way to promote the generation of renewable energy.  A strong FIT ensures that a generator of electricity from qualified renewable sources – like a home owner with roof top solar panels – will be able to connect to the grid and sell electricity at a price that ensures a profit.

Jennifer serves on the steering committee of the Alliance for Renewable Energy, to promote FIT policies in North America.  She also teaches Energy and the Law at the University of Oregon School of Law.

With support from the World Future Council, Jennifer worked with colleagues in the United Kingdom and Germany to determine what makes some FITs more effective than others.  That information is now available to parliamentarians and others who want to learn more about protecting the environment using climate-friendly energy policies (see: www.onlinepact.org).

Renewable Energy for Oregon and around the world

Jennifer is now working to bring FIT laws to Oregon, North America, and around the world.  At the ELAW Annual Meeting in March, she met with ELAW partners from 25 countries to share exciting progress with renewable policies in Germany and Spain.

In Chile, Jennifer is working with lawyers at Fiscalia del Medio Ambiente (FIMA) to promote renewable energy as a positive alternative to building big dams in Patagonia.  FIMA called on ELAW to help lay the groundwork for adopting a FIT in Chile.  ELAW and FIMA co-authored a paper that explains the environmental costs of traditional energy sources in Chile vs.  renewable energy sources, and outlined renewable energy policies that would work in Chile.

In Oregon, Governor Ted Kulongoski announced that he would send a Feed-in-Tariff policy to the legislature in the 2009 session.  Many renewable energy advocates in Oregon were disappointed in the governor’s final proposal and asked ELAW to draft a strong FIT bill.  The Oregon legislature is now weighing what approach Oregon should take.

European countries offer valuable lessons in designing and implementing effective energy policies.  Jennifer is helping integrate these lessons at home and around the world.