June 2018 Newsletter
Come to Our 2019-21 Agency Request Budget Open House and Public Meeting
The Oregon Department of Energy's 2019-21 budget is taking shape. Earlier this month, ODOE staff met with the Energy Advisory Work Group on our progress to develop our Agency Request Budget. We'll submit the Agency Request Budget to the Oregon Department of Administrative Services in August, where it will be evaluated and analyzed as the Governor's Recommended Budget is developed later this fall.
But before we do that, we'll meet with the public and entities subject to the energy supplier assessment at an open house and public meeting scheduled for Wednesday, July 18, in Salem. Everyone is invited to attend.
The open house is a chance for people to talk to ODOE staff about the agency's work and projects we're working on. At the public budget meeting, we'll discuss our program areas, our budget, and the revenues we think we'll need to do our jobs over the next biennium.
Can't make it to Salem? You can watch the meeting via webinar or call in to listen. Details:
Wednesday, July 18, 2018Open House: 1–2 p.m.Public Meeting: 2–4 p.m.
Attend in person: Oregon Department of Energy (parking info) Meitner Conference Room 550 Capitol St. NE, Salem OR 97301
Watch the public meeting from 2 to 4 p.m. online: https://www.connectmeeting.att.com Meeting Number: 213-270-2124 Access Code: 3125235
Listen to the public meeting by phone: Call-in Number: 888-273-3658 Access Code: 3125235.
State Launches New Electric Vehicle Website to Encourage Oregonians to Plug In
Earlier this month, a coalition of state agencies launched a new website designed to help Oregonians choose electric vehicles. Called Go Electric Oregon, it's all about the EV revolution taking place across the state.
At the heart of the new site is our statewide goal to get to 50,000 registered electric vehicles in Oregon by 2020 and how we'll get there. The 50K by 2020 goal was identified by Governor Kate Brown in her zero emission vehicle executive order, signed last fall. We're confident we can reach the goal thanks to the commitment we're seeing across Oregon, from state agencies leading by example to businesses saving money and emissions to utilities showing their customers the benefits of EVs.
We have all the details on how the new site came together on our blog. Have ideas for the new electric vehicle website? Don't hesitate to let us know. We would love to highlight the ways you're helping Oregonians plug in.
Coming Soon: New Battery Storage Training Opportunities for Utility Engineers and Operations Staff
The potential benefits of battery storage is a hot topic of conversation across Oregon. This fall, ODOE will hold a series of workshops for engineers, operations staff, and other technically-minded utility staff interested in learning all about this rapidly evolving resource.
While the details on dates and locations are still coming together, the program will include information on how to site battery storage systems and estimate costs, details on maintenance, and effects on resiliency and grid operations. Presentations and case studies will be shared by technical staff from consumer-owned utilities in the Northwest that have already installed battery storage systems.
We plan on at least two workshops in Oregon and one in Washington and will be reaching out to individual consumer-owned utilities on scheduling. Thanks to funding made possible by the Solar Plus grant, ODOE may also be able to offer stipends to cover travel-related expenses to utility staff.
The battery storage landscape is changing rapidly – we hope you'll be able to join us for this informative workshop. Watch your inbox for more details later this summer!
Energy Facility Siting Council Seeks Public Comments on Jordan Cove Request
Yesterday, ODOE announced that we are seeking public comments on a request from the Jordan Cove Energy Project for an exemption from the requirement to obtain a state-issued certificate to generate electricity.
Oregon’s Energy Facility Siting Council is responsible for authorizing energy facilities that are subject to state jurisdiction. While the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has jurisdiction over the proposed Jordan Cove liquefied natural gas export facility and an associated pipeline, the facility also includes specific energy generating components that fall under Oregon Energy Facility Siting Council jurisdiction.
The proposed Jordan Cove facility includes three 30-megawatt steam turbine generators that will provide electrical power to the surrounding liquefied natural gas terminal. The Energy Facility Siting Council has jurisdiction over electric power generation facilities with a capacity of 25 megawatts or more. Because the Jordan Cove Energy Project will produce electricity over this threshold, it must seek either permission to operate, which is granted in the form of a site certificate issued by the Council, or an exemption from a site certificate, based on specific criteria outlined in state law, which also must be approved by the Council.
Read more on our blog about how you can review Jordan Cove's application for an exemption and submit comments to our agency. Public comments submitted by the August 13, 2018, deadline will be used by ODOE staff to develop a recommendation, known as a Proposed Order, for Council’s consideration. Public comments will also inform Energy Facility Siting Council members as they consider Jordan Cove’s request for an exemption and staff’s recommendation.
We're proud to announce $2 million in grants for new renewable energy projects across Oregon through our Renewable Energy Development grant program. We received 32 applications, and 18 were selected for grants ranging from about $5,000 to $250,000. Central Lincoln PUD, which serves the central Oregon coast, was awarded over $82,000 for a solar photovoltaic project that will incorporate energy storage in Florence. The City of Salem was awarded $250,000 for a biogas co-generation facility in Keizer, which will produce electricity and thermal energy. Triple Creek Ranch, located in Joseph, was awarded over $108,000 for a hydropower turbine and generator for its irrigation system.
For more details and full list of selected projects, visit our blog.
Reports From Around the Agency
- Speaking of Renewable Energy Development grants, following our national SLICE Award from CESA last month, ODOE staffers will present about our RED grant program in a webinar with CESA on July 11.
- Our Small-Scale Energy Loan Program Advisory Committee met yesterday to discuss possible next steps for the lending program based on what staff and SELPAC members have learned through a retrospective review of SELP. Check out our presentation to the committee and read up about potential legislation we'll be pursuing next session.
- Our Energy Facility Siting Council is meeting today, with a packed agenda that included discussions about the process facilities go through when an amendment is requested and a potential rulemaking related to siting solar projects. Expect more details in next month's newsletter.
- Think you know Oregon's Radioactive Waste Transport Program? Think again.
- ODOE staff had a great time talking energy efficiency, electric vehicles, and renewable energy at Sunday Parkways in North Portland last weekend.
For our latest episode of our Grounded podcast, host Jenny Kalez is in Northeast Portland talking to Carolina Iraheta Gonzalez, Verde’s Community Energy Advocate.
Verde is part of the Living Cully collaborative, an effort to boost sustainability as an anti-poverty strategy in the Cully neighborhood. Living Cully released its Community Energy Plan earlier this year, outlining six pilot projects to help conserve or generate energy in the neighborhood – all while addressing poverty and preventing displacement.
UPCOMING MEETINGS
Hanford Cleanup Board | July 16-17 | Pendleton
Energy Facility Siting Council | August 23-24 | Boardman
Energy Facility Siting Council | September 27-28 | Coos Bay
Upcoming Rulemakings
Our monthly newsletter includes information especially for Oregon utilities, but is informative reading about energy for anyone interested. Sign up to receive our newsletter via email.