July 2024 Newsletter

ODOE Grant Program Celebrates First Constructed Renewable Energy Project

A new community solar project in Ontario, OR is the first fully constructed project supported by the Oregon Department of Energy’s Community Renewable Energy Grant Program.

The City of Ontario’s nearly 3-megawatt solar project was awarded $900,000 in ODOE’s first round of grants in 2022, and began producing renewable energy in December 2023. Ontario partnered with developer Fleet Development to build the Verde Light Community Solar facility, which can generate nearly 8 million kilowatt hours of electricity each year. The facility was built using solar modules that track the sun’s movement to maximize its energy output.

The facility is part of the Oregon Community Solar Program, through which customers of Portland General Electric, Pacific Power, or Idaho Power can “subscribe” to a community solar facility in their utility service area. Subscribers pay a subscription fee and receive a bill credit on their utility bill for their portion of energy generated by the project. Most customers save money on electricity costs through the program, and there are additional discounted rates for people with low incomes who sign up for the program.

The Verde Light Community Solar facility is in Idaho Power’s service area in eastern Oregon. The City of Ontario is the first subscriber and expects to save about $50,000 on municipal electricity costs each year. Fleet Development estimates that low-income subscribers will receive discounts of 20 percent on their electricity bills – or about $200 per year for a subscriber with $1,000 in annual electricity costs.

The Oregon Department of Energy is proud to support projects like this through our Community Renewable Energy Grant program, which provides competitive grants for planning and constructing renewable energy or energy resilience projects. The program has awarded two rounds of grants totaling $24 million so far, and ODOE expects to announce a third round of $18 million in awards later this summer.

Grants are open to Tribes, public bodies, and consumer-owned utilities. The program was created by the Oregon Legislature in 2021 to support projects outside Portland city limits, with an initial budget of $50 million, and an additional $20 million investment in 2023. Learn more on ODOE’s website.

ODOE Announces — and Quickly Reserves — $4 Million for Oregon Rental Home Heat Pump Program

On July 23, ODOE announced an additional $4 million for the Oregon Rental Home Heat Pump Program. Under this program, owners of rental homes and manufactured dwellings or recreational vehicles in a rented space may receive incentives for installing energy efficient heat pumps and related upgrades.

The program first launched in July 2023 with about $14 million for incentives, which was fully reserved by May 2024. The Oregon Legislature allocated an additional $4 million for the program earlier this year — which we knew would go fast — but our approved contractors exceeded our expectations! The additional funding was fully reserved in less than 36 hours, and ODOE is no longer accepting applications.

We will not know about the potential for additional state funds for the program until the next legislative session, which begins in January 2025. We anticipate re-opening the program in 2025 when federal funding becomes available (see next story!). Please sign up to receive future email updates about the program.

Oregon Awarded $197 Million Climate Pollution Reduction Grant

The Oregon Department of Energy is thrilled to be part of the team selected by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to receive a $197 million federal Climate Pollution Reduction Grant. ODOE Director Janine Benner joined Governor Kotek, Oregon Department of Environmental Quality Director Leah Feldon, and many others from around the state to accept the grant and thank EPA Regional Administrator Casey Sixkiller at an event in southeast Portland on July 22.

Oregon is among 25 awardees to receive over $4 billion in funding to implement community-driven solutions that tackle the climate crisis, reduce air pollution, advance environmental justice, and accelerate the transition to renewable energy.

Oregon will use this federal grant to implement the measures identified in Oregon’s Priority Climate Action Plan. The workplan lays out 12 critical measures that will accelerate Oregon’s emission reduction efforts for a vibrant environment, for the health of communities across the state, and for a more sustainable future. The prioritized measures fall into three categories that are among the largest contributors to Oregon’s GHG emissions: transportation, residential and commercial buildings, and the handling of waste and materials.

ODOE is especially pleased that the funding will enable us to continue and expand our work to provide incentives for energy efficient homes, support businesses in complying with the new Building Performance Standards, and provide rebates for home heat pumps.

Energy Facilities Spotlight: Jurisdiction

As Oregon makes progress on its clean energy goals – including a 100 percent clean electricity target by 2040 for the state’s largest utilities – the state will need new clean energy generation facilities like wind and solar to meet energy demand. But who decides where and how facilities are built in Oregon?

Oversight of energy facility siting in Oregon began in 1971, when the state formed a Nuclear and Thermal Energy Council responsible for regulating the siting of nuclear and coal-fired power plants of 200 megawatts or greater. In 1975, Oregon revised its energy facility siting laws and replaced the NTEC with the Energy Facility Siting Council, which serves Oregon to this day and reviews and considers approval for proposed energy facilities in the state.

EFSC is responsible for overseeing the development of large electric generating facilities, high voltage transmission lines, gas pipelines, radioactive waste disposal sites, and other projects. This state-level oversight of energy facilities helps ensure that Oregon has an adequate energy supply, while protecting Oregon’s environment and public safety.

Learn more about EFSC jurisdiction and Oregon's robust public process on our blog this month.

Help Shape Oregon's Energy Strategy

ODOE is leading development of an Oregon Energy Strategy, and there are many opportunities this summer to learn about the project and contribute your ideas.

The Oregon Energy Strategy will outline potential pathways to shape an equitable clean energy transition that meets the diverse needs of Oregonians and considers a range of factors, including impacts to the environment, public health, affordability, the economy, and jobs.

There are multiple engagement opportunities this summer:

Public Listening Sessions (happening today, July 31!): come share your ideas, perspectives, and suggestions to inform the energy strategy
Advisory Group Meetings: this appointed group will play a key role in developing the strategy over the next year. Their monthly meetings will be open to the public and may offer opportunities for public input.
Focus Area Working Groups: these meetings are open to the public and will cover specific focus areas to support development of the strategy. Participants will explore pathways to meeting our state’s energy policy objectives across the energy sector and consider opportunities and tradeoffs in areas including environmental justice, equity, affordability, land use, and natural resources.

Visit the Oregon Energy Strategy webpage for more information, and sign up to receive email updates for future opportunities to get involved!

Grounded Podcast: Cool for the Summer

On the latest episode of Grounded, host Bryan Hockaday speaks with State Climatologist Larry O’Neill to learn about Oregon's changing climate and extreme weather conditions. O’Neill explains that with climate change, Oregon summers are on track to see more days that spike above 100° and steadily warmer conditions over time.

The Oregon Department of Energy is helping to mitigate the impacts of climate change by leading Oregon’s transition to clean, green, renewable energy. Reducing carbon emissions over time will help mitigate climate change, but the Oregon Department of Energy is also taking action now to help get energy efficient heat pumps in homes, so Oregonians are better prepared for summer heat and increasingly extreme weather events. Listen now online or on your favorite podcast app.

RARE AmeriCorp Member Alice Weston Reflects on Her Year at ODOE

Last fall, ODOE welcomed RARE AmeriCorp member Alice Weston to the agency to serve as a liaison between ODOE and central and south-central Oregon communities to help better connect Oregonians with ODOE programs and opportunities. We’ve shared several stories from Alice and the Community Navigator team on our blog, and now we express our sincere thanks and bid Alice a fond farewell as she wraps up her RARE term. In her final blog post, Alice reflects back on her work and what she’s learned over the past year.

"As I come to the end of my year of service as the RARE AmeriCorps member for the Oregon Department of Energy, I am filled with gratitude. I am thankful for all the people who have taken the time to teach and mentor me as I learned about energy, Central and South-Central Oregon, and community building – as well as the opportunity to contribute to ODOE through my workplan focusing on needs and priorities in this region. I have had the opportunity to learn from the amazing team at the Oregon Department of Energy and from experts within all the communities that I visited and served. I have been truly amazed by the knowledge and kindness that drive energy and resilience work in our region."

Reports from Around the Agency

Join our team! Keep an eye on ODOE's website for open recruitments and please share with your networks.
The Pacific Northwest Hydrogen Hub was granted Phase 1 Award status from the U.S. Department of Energy this month. As part of this designation, PNWH2 will receive an initial amount of up to $27.5 million from a potential future $1 billion in federal funding from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. ODOE Director Janine Benner, who serves as Vice-Chair of the PNWH2 Board, joined local news station Fox12 Now for a live interview on this important hydrogen news.
ODOE Director Janine Benner, Associate Director for Strategic Engagement Ruchi Sadhir, and Community Navigator Sarah Moehrke traveled to southern Oregon this month to connect with communities and share how ODOE programs can support their energy efforts. This included attending the Tribal-State Government-to-Government Annual Summit in Canyonville, hosted by the Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians.
ODOE Director Janine Benner joined the White House Council on Environmental Quality on June 12 in Washington, D.C. for a convening on Accelerating America's Clean Energy Deployment Through Meaningful Community Engagement. The event brought together diverse stakeholders to discuss how to build on meaningful engagement for clean energy projects across the nation.
In case you missed it, ODOE held a public budget meeting on July 29 to review the agency's request budget for the 2025-2027 biennium. Materials and a recording of the meeting are available on ODOE's website.
ODOE Schools Team members Christie Sphoon and Tracy Richardson hosted an information table at the Oregon Association of School Business Officials conference in Bend on July 24-26. The conference provides a great opportunity to connect with school officials to discuss energy projects and available funding.
Last month, ODOE launched a new digital companion to the Oregon Fuel Action Plan. The action plan outlines how ODOE responds in an emergency that affects the state's fuel supply and distribution. The new online companion provides a high-level overview of the plan, various roles, past exercises and emergencies, and more. Check it out.
HB 3409 (2023) set a heat pump deployment target of 500,000 new heat pump installations in Oregon homes by 2030. ODOE will report on that progress every two years beginning in September 2025. Sign up for future email updates as we begin work on this report.
As ODOE's new Building Performance Standards Program gets up and running, the agency is hosting public meetings as administrative rules are developed. Learn more and see upcoming meeting dates on our website.
Did you know ODOE's Energy Facility Siting Team is currently reviewing more than a dozen proposed or amended energy facilities? From wind to solar facilities – to combined wind, solar, and storage facilities – you can learn more about the state's process and how to get involved on our website. You can also sign up to receive a monthly facility siting update showing the latest and greatest.
ODOE has several incentive programs up and running. Learn more about our energy incentives on ODOE's website.

UPCOMING MEETINGS

Oregon Energy Strategy Engagement | Various this Summer | Via Webinar

Oregon Climate Action Commission | August 1, 2024 | Via Webinar

Energy Facility Siting Council | August 22-23, 2024| Hermiston & Via Webinar

Current Rulemakings (click to see details)

Other Stakeholder Groups (click to see details)