With debates over the best clean energy sources to combat climate change, Northwest RiverPartners reminds us that for residents in the rainy Pacific Northwest, the best source of carbon-free energy available in abundance today is still hydropower.

The organisation, which serves not-for-profit, community-owned electric utilities in the Northwest, worked with Portland-based creative agency North to create their new campaign. Their challenge was confronting the fact that for some, the idea of using hydropower comes with a complicated history of dam building that damaged ecosystems and indigenous communities. But with the immediate and urgent need for carbon-free energy sources, Northwest RiverPartners says that using what is already in place is a more affordable and effective option than sporadic solar and wind sources.

“We felt it was important to move ahead safely with a reminder that the planet still needs our help, and that environmental concerns are still important”, says Northwest RiverPartners’s executive director Kurt Miller.

While under shelter-in-place orders, the films were directed remotely by North’s Ashod Simonian. The small production team filmed over the course of two weeks in remote locations that were extensively researched to ensure their legality. Safety was at the forefront of shooting the film, even to the extent of using members of the same household to minimise exposure. Producer Bill Ballard was joined by his daughter Daysha as the on-screen talent and his wife Cara as the stylist. The team was rounded out by photography director Charlie Balch, who was assisted by his wife Mhairi. The team maintained a six-foot distance at all times while wearing masks.

“It took a lot of dedication and trust to pull this off,” says Mark Ray, chief creative officer at North: “As a B-Corp agency, we're grateful to work with clients whose values align with ours to do good for the Northwest community and environment.”