All posts by meredith connolly
Meredith brings over a decade of climate policy experience to her work accelerating Oregon’s transition to a clean energy economy. She advocates for innovative and equitable policy solutions to reduce pollution and create clean energy jobs across the state. Currently, Meredith leads a team diligently working to electrify everything from cars, trucks, and buses to homes and buildings, and power it all with 100% clean electricity.
Prior to joining Climate Solutions, Meredith was a Climate and Energy Attorney for the Natural Resources Defense Council. At NRDC, she advanced renewable energy policies in the U.S. and internationally. She also implemented programs to protect public health and improve climate resilience to heat waves and air pollution in India’s growing cities. Before NRDC, Meredith practiced law in the private sector.
Meredith is a member of the Oregon and California State Bar Associations. She holds a JD from Boston College Law School and a Bachelor of Science in Political Science and French from Santa Clara University. In her free time, Meredith enjoys exploring her incredible home state of Oregon with her family and rooting too loudly for the Portland Thorns and Timbers.
Oregonians: It's time to SPRING into climate action!
By: Meredith Connolly on April 14, 2021
We're pleased to report forward progress on two of our high-priority climate bills.
Fire and Ice: How Oregon’s past year makes clear we need 100% clean electricity
By: Meredith Connolly on March 12, 2021
Oregon continues to pump out more climate pollution every year, but we can pass 100% Clean right now to lay the foundation for a clean energy-based economy.
2021: Action time for climate in the Oregon Legislature
By: Meredith Connolly on February 24, 2021
As the historic wildfires that devastated Oregon last September and the most recent ice storms make clear, climate chaos is here and harming Oregon’s communities and well-being now.
For Fair and Honest Elections, vote YES on Measure 107
By: Meredith Connolly on October 9, 2020
Oregon’s lack of effective campaign finance limits allows corporations to buy massive influence while casting a dark shadow on state and local politics. Time to lift the veil.
Oregon fills leadership gap on parallel COVID, climate crises
By: Meredith Connolly on April 24, 2020
Global warming has not paused to respect social distancing during these ‘corona times.’ However, in early March, Oregon Governor Kate Brown delivered one of the country's strongest Executive Orders on climate in early March, now called the “Oregon Climate Action Plan.”
Delay is denial: Oregon's climate emergency needs us all
By: Meredith Connolly on February 24, 2020
Our #1 priority remains comprehensive statewide climate action. The bill to make this happen, Senate Bill 1530, was just passed by the joint budget committees and is currently ready for a vote on the Senate floor. However, immediately after the budget vote this morning, eleven Senate Republicans fled the Capitol yet again to deny quorum for the Senate to conduct any business.
Climate Emergency! Meet us in Salem
By: Meredith Connolly on February 7, 2020
A majority of Oregonians support climate action, especially as our own communities experience impacts of the climate crisis—li
YES: Oregon will lead on climate in 2020
By: Meredith Connolly on January 24, 2020
Climate and clean energy advocates are determined to make 2020 a year of climate progress in Oregon. Here's how.
TriMet and the City of Portland accelerate toward 100% clean
By: Meredith Connolly on December 19, 2019
We are excited that the City of Portland and TriMet have taken some big strides to accelerate toward 100% clean and carbon-free operations!
AAA Gets a Triple "F" on Climate Policy
By: Meredith Connolly on September 12, 2019
The end of Oregon’s 2019 legislative session exposed some of the egregious corporate lobbying in Salem that blocks climate action – sometimes in public, but many times behind the scenes in the halls of the State Capitol. One of those companies is the American Automobile Association (AAA) of Oregon. Yes, the same AAA that you call for a lifeline when your car breaks down – but apparently that lifeline doesn’t extend to the climate emergency we’re currently experiencing.