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Energy Resources

Resources Used to Generate Oregon’s Electricity

Oregon’s Energy Resources

Oregon’s energy resources are diverse. In the gallery below, toggle the arrows to learn about each resource. Oregon also exports and imports a significant amount of electricity as you can see detailed in the center list.

Resources Gallery 2020
Solar Photovoltaic technology converts energy radiating from the sun into electricity. Solar systems are located on homes, businesses, and large utility-scale arrays. As of 2018, there are more than 15,000 active residential solar systems in Oreg

Solar

Photovoltaic technology converts energy radiating from the sun into electricity. Solar systems are located on homes, businesses, and large utility-scale arrays. As of 2018, there are more than 15,000 active residential solar systems in Oregon.

Nuclear Generated electricity from a nuclear reactor where thermal energy is released from the fission of nuclear fuel. Oregon’s nuclear power comes from the Columbia Generating Station in Washington State, and the electricity produced is markete

Nuclear

Generated electricity from a nuclear reactor where thermal energy is released from the fission of nuclear fuel. Oregon’s nuclear power comes from the Columbia Generating Station in Washington State, and the electricity produced is marketed by the Bonneville Power Administration.

Hydropower Electricity generation harnessed from the natural flow of water through dams. Oregon has 65 large hydropower facilities, including four federal facilities on the Columbia River that span the Oregon and Washington border, and two facili

Hydropower

Electricity generation harnessed from the natural flow of water through dams. Oregon has 65 large hydropower facilities, including four federal facilities on the Columbia River that span the Oregon and Washington border, and two facilities that span the Oregon and Idaho border.

Wind Generation of electricity by the force of wind turning turbines. As of 2018, Oregon has 44 operating facilities in the state with a total capacity of 3,383 MW.

Wind

Generation of electricity by the force of wind turning turbines. As of 2018, Oregon has 44 operating facilities in the state with a total capacity of 3,383 MW.

Geothermal Energy extracted from hot water or steam from natural underground sources can be used for water/space heating or the generation of electricity. Oregon has two geothermal electric generation facilities with a capacity of 23.8 MW.

Geothermal

Energy extracted from hot water or steam from natural underground sources can be used for water/space heating or the generation of electricity. Oregon has two geothermal electric generation facilities with a capacity of 23.8 MW.

Natural gas Fossil fuel extracted from beneath the earth’s surface. Oregon has a single natural gas field located in Mist. Oregon imports most of the natural gas it consumes for electricity and as a direct fuel. There are 18 natural gas electrici

Natural gas

Fossil fuel extracted from beneath the earth’s surface. Oregon has a single natural gas field located in Mist. Oregon imports most of the natural gas it consumes for electricity and as a direct fuel. There are 18 natural gas electricity generation facilities with a combined capacity of 4,140 MW. Natural gas is used directly for residential, commercial, industrial and transportation uses.

Coal Combustible rock is burned for industrial processes and to create electricity. Oregon had one coal-generated power plant, the 575 MW Boardman facility, which closed in October 2020. The state also imports coal-generated electricity from neig

Coal

Combustible rock is burned for industrial processes and to create electricity. Oregon had one coal-generated power plant, the 575 MW Boardman facility, which closed in October 2020. The state also imports coal-generated electricity from neighboring states.

Biomass Includes all renewable biogas and biofuels derived from the energy of plants and animals. Wood and wood waste is Oregon’s greatest source of biomass, which is used for space heating, cooking, electricity generation, and transportation. Or

Biomass

Includes all renewable biogas and biofuels derived from the energy of plants and animals. Wood and wood waste is Oregon’s greatest source of biomass, which is used for space heating, cooking, electricity generation, and transportation. Oregon has 16 biomass and 25 biogas operating facilities converting waste products to electricity. Oregon also produces plant-derived ethanol fuel and biodiesel from used cooking oil to be used as transportation fuels.

Petroleum Fossil fuel extracted from beneath the earth’s crust that includes gasoline, diesel, heating oil, lubricants, and other fuels we use for space heating, industrial equipment and transportation. Oregon imports the petroleum that it uses.

Petroleum

Fossil fuel extracted from beneath the earth’s crust that includes gasoline, diesel, heating oil, lubricants, and other fuels we use for space heating, industrial equipment and transportation. Oregon imports the petroleum that it uses.

 

Oregon Exports

68% of wind generation
66% of geothermal generation
38% of hydroelectric generation
12% of solar generation

Oregon imports

88% of coal based electricity
100% of nuclear electricity

Natural Gas

In 2018, natural gas-based electricity made up 28 percent of Oregon’s electricity generation and 21 percent of Oregon’s energy consumption. Generating capacity has grown substantially in the past two decades, with capacity almost tripling from 2000 to 2018. Net generation has grown proportional to capacity but fluctuates from year to year. This is typically due to variations in annual hydropower generation; when hydropower generation is high, natural gas generation is lower and when hydropower is low, natural gas generation is higher. This relationship highlights the flexible nature of natural gas electricity generation, which can serve as baseload for constant electricity supply, or as a flexible generator that can be turned on and off to meet fluctuating electricity consumption (load following) to balance the integration of variable renewable resources.

More on Natural Gas in Oregon