MEDFORD, Ore. - Bees are enjoying their days in the sun on a clean-energy farm in southern Oregon.

The Eagle Point solar farm outside Medford is the largest "solar apiary" in the country, incorporating designs that benefit pollinators. It's home to 48 bee colonies interspersed among solar panels, which are generating enough energy to power more than 2,100 homes annually.

Rob Davis, who directs the Center for Pollinators and Energy for the nonprofit Fresh Energy, connected North Carolina-based Pine Gate Renewables with a beekeeper in southern Oregon. Davis said this isn't just a potted plant in the corner of a 40-acre field.

"It does obviously recognize that these are managed landscapes and that the site is first and foremost an energy-generation facility," he said. "But within that context, there are significant ways to manage the vegetation so that it's incrementally and meaningfully beneficial to honeybees and all the native pollinators and wildlife."

Davis said this idea has been growing in Europe in recent years and now pollinator-friendly solar projects are under way in a dozen states. While upfront costs could be a barrier, he said, adding pollinators to solar farms has many upsides, including increased soil health from native plants and lowered maintenance costs. The projects are reducing the number of times a farm needs to be mowed, which also decreases the risk of a mower colliding with a panel or kicking up a rock and damaging it.

John Jacob, owner of Old Sol Apiaries, said bees and other pollinators face immense pressures right now, in some cases dying off at catastrophic rates. Part of the problem, he said, is the large number of monoculture farms that give bees only one source of food to choose from. Eagle Point offers his bees the opportunity for a diverse diet. Jacob said another issue on farms is pesticides.

"A lot of the crops we get paid to go to are sprayed, and while it's a good income for commercial beekeepers, the downside is that it places a significant amount of stress on honeybee colonies," he said. "So these are places where we can take our bees to help their overall health and to recover from their pollination duties."

Jacob said healthy hives also help surrounding farms. Bees' growing scarcity is driving up pollination costs for farmers. The honeybees at Eagle Point are producing a lot of honey too, averaging 100 to 200 pounds of per colony. The rest of Josephine County colonies average about 30 to 40 pounds.

More information is online about Fresh Energy, Pine Gate Renewables and Old Sol Apiaries.


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Athens, Alabama, is bouncing back after an EF-1 tornado ripped through its downtown late Saturday night, leaving devastation but sparing lives.

Now, days into recovery, city crews and volunteers have cleared most debris, reopened streets and restored power to most homes and businesses.

Ronnie Marks, mayor of Athens, credits the quick response and community spirit for the progress made so far.

"We are so fortunate that we don't have any injuries or any fatalities," Marks pointed out. "The tough news is it's hit our downtown, but overall our city and county workers have done a tremendous job in cleaning up debris, rooftops laying in the middle of the street."

According to the city's Facebook page, additional damage includes fallen trees blocking major roads, structural damage to public buildings such as Fire Station Number 3, and debris in key areas like Pryor Street and the Veterans Museum.

Marks noted the tornado's toll on local businesses has been severe, with some potentially facing total losses. He added among the hardest hit was a local bookstore, which suffered catastrophic roof damage. Marks emphasized the importance of rallying around these businesses as they rebuild.

"There's some severe damage to some of the small business people and that's their livelihood, and it's ours and we're supportive," Marks emphasized. "For example, the CEI bookstore is totally destroyed. A lot of other businesses have rooftops and HVACs blown off of the top of their building."

Marks stressed community volunteers have stepped up to clear debris and provide meals to city workers, with support pouring in from across the state and even as far as Tennessee. The Limestone County Emergency Management Agency is actively documenting the damage to determine if the area qualifies for additional aid.


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It has been just over three months since Hurricane Helene devastated Western North Carolina, leaving communities to rebuild and recover.

As the immediate relief efforts wind down, the focus is shifting to the more complex challenges of long-term recovery.

Jennifer Tolle Whiteside, president of the North Carolina Community Foundation, said rebuilding is just one piece of the puzzle. Many other critical needs require ongoing attention and support.

"There are infrastructure, including roads and bridges and houses that will need to be rebuilt," Tolle Whiteside pointed out. "We are particularly concerned about mental health issues, sort of the education and effect on children and communities, as well as some of the basic needs."

Gov. Roy Cooper recently announced $15.5 Million from the North Carolina Disaster Relief Fund will go to the North Carolina Community Foundation to support long-term recovery from Hurricane Helene. The figure is in addition to the $12 million the foundation has already raised, which will be distributed as grants to nonprofits serving Western North Carolina.

Tolle Whiteside noted the foundation's 19 affiliates in Western North Carolina are playing a key role in identifying the specific needs of each community as recovery efforts continue. The local partners are not only assessing the damage but helping to prioritize resources for critical issues such as housing, mental health and education. She stressed while progress is being made, the work is far from over and sustained support will be essential for years to come.

"These issues are long-term in nature and it's going to take a long road to recovery," Tolle Whiteside emphasized. "These communities need our continued support and attention."

Recent estimates from Gov. Roy Cooper's office indicated the damage from Hurricane Helene has escalated to nearly $60 billion, surpassing the first estimate of about $54 billion released in October. The damage costs are roughly 3.5 times those of Hurricane Florence in 2018.


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Wisconsin is ending the year on a high note in the clean energy space, with some notables like a first-of-its-kind energy dome and approval for the largest solar project in state history.

Together, the Columbia Energy Storage Project and the Vista Sands Solar Project are expected to generate enough energy to power more than 200,000 Wisconsin homes.

Oliver Schmitz, associate dean for research innovation in the College of Engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, said in a state importing about 70% of the energy it uses, projects like these are key to reducing the number.

"I think in terms of the priorities, it's not only to realize clean energy as an energy source for the entire population, but also to leverage the opportunities that come with the clean energy technologies," Schmitz contended.

Opportunities like using Wisconsin's strong manufacturing base to work toward clean energy projects, Schmitz added. Other areas include new careers and workforce, a reduction in pollutants contributing to climate change, and lower energy costs across the state.

Though Wisconsin ranks around the middle of the pack nationwide for clean energy development, the state has been able to maximize some federal initiatives in the past year to fund statewide projects. Schmitz believes the most important component in recent advancements is community involvement.

"Many of those, technology discovery is community driven," Schmitz pointed out. "People who consume energy, the communities out in the state are thinking about, 'What is the fit for our community?'"

He added now, the state would do well to focus on its baseload capacity or replacing coal plants with equivalent units of continuous energy. The state announced this month a second delay of Columbia County's coal plant retirement. Schmitz believes nuclear power technologies could also be considered.


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