Partner Profile: Blue Sky Habitat Fund

In 2011, we joined forces with Pacific Power to administer their Blue Sky Habitat Fund, where Pacific Power customers can choose to donate to a pool of funding that goes to restoring native fish habitat. This innovative partnership allows us to coordinate funds provided by Blue Sky Habitat participants to match their donations with grant dollars, allowing them to make an even larger impact through their projects across the state. We recently chatted with Berit Kling, Senior Product Manager for Pacific Power’s Blue Sky Renewable Energy program. She tells us about her organization’s vision for clean energy options and her passion for the environment.

Can you share in a few words what your organization does?

PacifiCorp is one of the lowest-cost electrical providers in the United States, serving two million customers. The company operates as Pacific Power in California, Oregon, and Washington. Oregon represents the largest portion of the Pacific Power service area with more than 510,000 residential customers and 72,000 small non-residential customers in 163 cities and towns in Oregon. Mostly rural communities. We help customers and communities thrive by delivering energy that is reliable, affordable, sustainable, and safe. To do this, we work to protect and enhance the environment by conserving natural resources, reducing emissions, and protecting wildlife and habitat. We also shape forward-thinking policies and innovative solutions to improve the livability of customers’ hometowns and neighborhoods.

Tell us about the Blue Sky Habitat Fund.

For nearly 25 years, Pacific Power’s voluntary Blue Sky program has provided customers with an option to support renewable energy equal to all or part of their energy use. The program enables participants to reduce their carbon footprint tied to their home or business electricity use while helping drive demand for newly developed renewable resources. Our Blue Sky Habitat participants support 100% renewable energy and help fund native fish habitat restoration and preservation projects through a fixed $2.50 monthly donation directed to The Freshwater Trust. Since 2011, The Freshwater Trust has served as the Administrator to more than $2 million of the Pacific Power Blue Sky Habitat Funds.

Applications are open for restoration projects seeking 2024 Blue Sky Habitat funding. More info can be found here.

Why do you like working with The Freshwater Trust?

What’s not to like? It is a great organization made up of great people. I had the opportunity to do several field trips with TFT to some of the projects our Blue Sky participants helped fund. In the Sandy River basin, it was amazing to watch the helicopter placing logs to build salmon habitat. Seeing the habitat before and after was super impactful! The Freshwater Trust’s dedication to innovation, collaboration, and sustainable restoration makes them a valuable force in freshwater conservation.

If you’re passionate about preserving our rivers, supporting TFT’s work is a meaningful choice.

What attracted you to working in renewable energy?

I am committed to being of service to people and the planet. For the last seven years, I have managed a portfolio of voluntary clean energy products in a fast-paced marketplace. During this time, we quadrupled program output (megawatt-hours) and the Blue Sky program currently ranks first in green power sales on the National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s list for voluntary programs. In the last two years, I have also managed the grant programs made possible through the Oregon Clean Fuels Program, including e-mobility grants for PacifiCorp’s non-residential customers. We have funded more than $6 million in e-mobility projects, such as fast-charging stations for electric cars and trucks. Under my management, these customer programs have expanded. Prior to this role, I managed the communications for PacifiCorp’s Wattsmart energy efficiency and Blue Sky renewable energy portfolios. I love the Blue Sky program, so when the program manager role became available, I jumped at the opportunity.

The Blue Sky Habitat option is our gold standard, the best option available. I love that we offer these options to customers.

Photo from Berit Kling

Why are you passionate about communicating important issues?

Preserving pristine wilderness—it’s part of what makes the West so unique. When I’m not working, I enjoy the outdoors by hiking, snowshoeing, and kayaking with friends and family in the beautiful Pacific Northwest. I want to continue to do so, and I feel I can make a small impact by supporting these programs.

What are your organization’s goals for renewable energy and the environment going forward?

Our environmental commitment runs through every aspect of our business, from electricity generation to grid operations, and from our fleet of vehicles to the bill statements we send to customers. We continually look for ways to minimize the impact we have on our shared environment. We’re already the largest regulated utility owner of wind power in the West, and that’s just the start. We’re significantly expanding our wind, solar and storage resources on our path to a net-zero emissions future. Expanded renewable energy generation is just one part of our plan to reduce energy demand and modernize the grid, while keeping costs below industry averages.

What is your favorite landscape or river in the Pacific Northwest?

I have always loved water. I was born in Norway and spent my first few years skiing on frozen fjords, then we lived in Holland around the canals. My family moved to southern California when I was seven, where I swam competitively, enjoyed the beach most days and sailed often. But nothing beats the Pacific Northwest.

The beauty of our rivers, lakes and coastline cannot be rivaled. Some of my favorite moments have been spent rafting down the Rogue River or kayaking in the beautiful lakes near Mount Hood or the local tributaries in my neighborhood.