Cory-Ann Wind (second from left)with her Clean Cities Hall of Fame Award presented in February 2023.
We’re thrilled to announce Cory-Ann Wind, manager of Oregon’s Clean Fuels Program, is the recipient of the 2023 Hall of Fame Award from the Columbia-Willamette Clean Cities Coalition, a coalition committed to reducing petroleum consumption in the transportation sector through education and outreach.
The award recognizes Wind’s leadership developing and implementing one of the nation’s only clean fuels programs. California has had a similar program for the last 12 years and Washington started a program this year. Wind has worked at DEQ for 29 years, the last 13 overseeing the Clean Fuels Program.
Established in 2016, the Clean Fuels Program is a critical component of Oregon’s plan to reduce greenhouse gases in the transportation sector. The goal of the program is to incentivize fuel companies to supply alternative, lower carbon fuels in an effort to transition the transportation sector to cleaner vehicles and cleaner fuels.
In just over seven years, almost 2 billion gallons of fossil fuels have been displaced with cleaner fuels, resulting in the elimination of 8 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions. Last year alone, more than $185 million in clean fuel credits were traded with program participants to support the transition to cleaner fuels.
The program has paved the way for lower carbon ethanol, biodiesel, renewable diesel, electricity, renewable natural gas renewable propane, and hydrogen to increase in usage throughout the state. In addition to reducing climate pollutants, the use of cleaner fuels also improves public health, increases energy security, reduces air pollution, all while creating jobs across numerous industries.
Wind’s philosophy is that if we work together across Oregon and with other states, we can develop solutions that will drive down energy costs for people, reduce the impact of climate change, create jobs and light the way for a new generation of clean energy jobs and fuels that will power a more sustainable and clean future.
By Jennifer Flynt, public affairs specialist