2022 Year In Review
From Our Director
Each December, I enjoy looking back to reflect on the challenges we faced, the progress we made, and the successes we celebrated together over the past year.
2022 was quite a year. We launched new energy incentive programs, including the Energy Efficient Wildfire Rebuilding Incentive for Oregonians who lost structures in the 2020 Labor Day wildfires, as well as the Community Renewable Energy Development Program, which supports renewable energy project planning and construction in communities across the state. We also expanded our library of energy reports and studies, including the third edition of our Biennial Energy Report, featuring a new, online interactive energy history timeline, as well as studies on Floating Offshore Wind, Renewable Hydrogen, and Small-Scale and Community-Based Renewable Energy Projects. After a years-long public process, the Energy Facility Siting Council approved the 300-mile Boardman-to-Hemingway transmission line that when built, will run through five Oregon counties.
As we turn the corner to 2023, we look toward a new year that will focus on transition. A transition to a new Oregon Governor and new leaders in the state Legislature. The launch of two heat pump incentive programs at our agency. An expected influx of federal dollars that will support Oregon’s energy infrastructure, homes, and businesses. And of course, our ongoing transition to an equitable clean energy future.
The Oregon Department of Energy is grateful to Governor Kate Brown for her energy leadership over the years – from her Executive Order 20-04 to push state agencies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, to bolstering transportation electrification, to signing House Bill 2021 “Clean Electricity for All” into law. We look forward to working with Governor-elect Tina Kotek and her team to continue making progress on our mission and ensuring all Oregonians can benefit from our programs and services.
As we put together this Year in Review, it was once again hard to narrow down what to feature. It has been an incredible year, so I hope you take a moment to look back on what we’ve achieved together (you can also view past monthly newsletters on our blog). Thank you for your engagement. You – our partners and stakeholders – have provided valuable feedback this year for several energy studies, important administrative rule changes, designs for our energy incentive programs, and more.
I’m grateful to work with you and proud to lead the stellar team of professionals here at the Oregon Department of Energy.
Cheers to 2023 –
ODOE Director Janine Benner
ODOE's Facility Siting Division Had Another Fast-Paced Year. The team supported 11 Energy Facility Siting Council meetings and provided analysis and guidance for 20 proposed or under-construction energy facilities. The team conducted 37 site visits/inspections at facilities both under construction and in operation, which is almost double the number conducted in 2021 – including the introduction of “desk audits” for some facilities in lieu of in-person visits to improve efficiency. We completed several administrative rulemaking efforts – including a new standard for wildfire prevention, updating the carbon dioxide emissions standard to comply with HB 2021 and HB 2022, and updating the rules for the protected areas and scenic resource standards to ensure that they are clear and consistent with the Council’s review process.
The team is reviewing more utility-scale renewable solar facilities than ever before and we are seeing more proposed projects incorporating energy storage components. At year's end, there were 50 megawatts of solar projects in operation, 362 megawatts in construction, 812 megawatts approved but not yet constructed, and 2,500 megawatts under review – for a total of 3.6 gigawatts! Looking to the new year, we expect transmission to also remain a hot topic. Following the Council’s approval of the Boardman to Hemingway project in 2022, ODOE and EFSC will begin reviewing a new proposed transmission line, the Cascade Renewable Transmission Project, in 2023.
Community Renewable Energy Grant Program Launches and Announces First Round of Awardees | In the spring, ODOE launched our new Community Renewable Energy Grant Program, which has a total of $50 million in grant dollars available for planning and constructing renewable energy and resilience projects for Oregon Tribes, public bodies, and consumer-owned utilities. Public bodies include counties, municipalities, and special government bodies like ports and irrigation districts. Grants are awarded on a competitive basis and applications for the first round of funding were due in July. ODOE announced 21 recipients receiving a total of $12 million in October.
The program is now accepting applications for the second round of $12 million in grant funding, with applications due February 15, 2023.
ODOE Program Encourages Energy Efficient Wildfire Rebuilding. In April, our Energy Efficient Wildfire Rebuilding Incentive began accepting applications from Oregonians who lost structures in the 2020 Labor Day wildfires.
As Oregonians rebuild from the devastating wildfires, the agency will provide financial support to improve energy efficiency to make rebuilt homes and businesses more comfortable and provide long-term energy savings. Oregonians rebuilding site-built homes can receive $3,000 for rebuilding to current energy code or $6,000 for rebuilding to an above-code standard – those rebuilding who are also considered low- or moderate-income can receive higher rebates of $7,500 or $15,000. Some of the communities lost in the wildfires included manufactured home parks, so Oregonians replacing lost or damaged manufactured homes with energy efficient models can receive $12,500, plus an additional $5,000 for installing a qualifying heat pump system to improve heating and cooling.
To date, ODOE has reserved or issued 336 incentives totaling $2,806,904.
After a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, ODOE staff were once again able to engage with Oregonians at community outreach events in 2022, including Salem Saturday Market, Earth Day at the Oregon Garden, the Umatilla County Fair, and others.
ODOE Solar + Storage Program Receives National Award | The Oregon Department of Energy's Solar + Storage Rebate Program was recognized this year with a national State Leadership in Clean Energy Award from the Clean Energy States Alliance. CESA, a nonprofit coalition of public agencies working together to advance clean energy, established the biennial awards to highlight model programs and projects that accelerate the adoption of clean energy technologies and strengthen clean energy markets. ODOE previously won a SLICE Award in 2018 for its Renewable Energy Development Grant Program.
The Solar + Storage Rebate Program stood out to the 2022 SLICE judging panel for its collaborative approach and focus on expanding access to renewable energy to Oregonians who may not otherwise be able to afford the investment in solar, noting that “This program was thoughtfully designed to maximize participation by low-income communities, with impressive results.”
New Interactive Tool Connects Renewable Energy Development with Other Important Considerations. A public partnership among the Oregon Department of Energy, Oregon Department of Land Conservation & Development, Oregon State University’s Institute for Natural Resources, and the U.S. Department of Defense published new educational materials this year that will help local governments, Tribes, communities, policymakers, agencies, energy developers, and other stakeholders access important information and considerations for potential renewable energy in Oregon.
The Oregon Renewable Energy Siting Assessment (ORESA) project was funded through a $1.1 million U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) grant, with the goal of providing baseline data to support important conversations around potential energy and transmission development in the state. Housed on Oregon Explorer, the new interactive online reporting and mapping tool combines data on renewable energy, military training areas, economic development, land use, natural resources, community characteristics, and other important considerations.
Yay for 50K! In July, Oregon celebrated officially reaching 50,000 registered electric vehicles on Oregon roads. Data from the Oregon Department of Transportation show electric vehicles charging up in all 36 Oregon counties, from Curry to Wallowa, Clatsop to Malheur.
Following Governor Brown’s 2017 executive order to bolster electric vehicle adoption, the Oregon Legislature passed Senate Bill 1044 in 2019, which outlined bold EV targets for the state – including at least 250,000 registered EVs by 2025 and an increasing share of new vehicles sold each year. The state’s GoElectric.Oregon.gov website lists available incentives and provides helpful information for potential buyers looking to make the switch.
Following record-setting extreme weather in 2021, ODOE Director Janine Benner shared her thoughts on strengthening community resilience in the Eugene Register-Guard.
Data Analysis Shows Greenhouse Gas Reduction Goal is in Reach. Thanks to Oregon’s bold energy and climate change policy advances, the state is projected to meet its current 2035 greenhouse gas reduction goal, according to analysis shared by the Oregon Global Warming Commission this year.
With grant funding from the U.S. Climate Alliance, the Commission worked with consulting firm SSG to develop an economy-wide, Oregon-specific model that forecasted the potential emission reductions from existing and new mitigation actions the state could take. Data incorporating 14 adopted programs and regulations into the model show that Oregon is on track to meet the state’s goal to reduce emissions to at least 45 percent below 1990 levels by 2035. The analysis will inform development of a Roadmap to 2035, to be published in early 2023, that's designed to provide decision-makers with recommendations for future actions the state should take to reduce Oregon’s greenhouse gas emissions.
The modeling assumes that state-adopted policies to reduce emissions in Oregon will be fully implemented without setbacks or delay, so there is much work to be done to meet the 2035 goal. In addition, the Commission may recommend bolder/updated greenhouse gas reduction goals to reflect the best available science to fight climate change in Oregon.
ODOE Continues to Monitor Safety of Uranium Mill and Disposal Sites. Oregonians may be surprised to learn that for a very brief period in the late 1950s/early 60s, there were two active uranium mines in southern Lake County along with a uranium mill in Lakeview. While the sites are long since closed, the Oregon Department of Energy’s Nuclear Safety and Emergency Preparedness team, along with partners from federal and state agencies, completes annual inspections of the disposal sites. ODOE hydrogeologist Tom Sicilia conducted this year’s site visit at the mill tailings disposal cell and the former mine sites over the summer.
ODOE Working to Bring Federal Funding to Oregon. The 2021 Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Act and the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act are making unprecedented investments in clean energy, energy efficiency, and greenhouse gas reduction activities around the country. The Oregon Department of Energy is working hard to ensure that Oregon is well-positioned to receive and leverage this funding in support of the state’s energy policies and priorities – and to do so in a way that improves the lives of Oregon families. While many of the details of the federal funding opportunities are still being determined by our federal partners at the U.S. Department of Energy and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, ODOE is already preparing to bring funding to Oregon to support several priorities over the coming years.
ODOE Director Janine Benner, Assistant Director for Nuclear Safety and Emergency Preparedness Maxwell Woods, and other ODOE team members toured a new radiation detection portal system at a Gilliam County landfill. In 2021, the company installed the portal system to screen all incoming material to check for potential radiation and compliance with Oregon’s statutes and rules for disposal of radioactive materials.
Oregon Welcomes Secretary Granholm. On August 9, Oregon Department of Energy Director Janine Benner was pleased to welcome U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm to Oregon alongside Governor Kate Brown, Senator Jeff Merkley, and Senator Ron Wyden. The group hosted the Secretary for an Oregon energy tour, including stops at Daimler Truck North America's "Electric Island" in North Portland, Bonneville Power Administration's headquarters in Vancouver, local Wilsonville business Energy Storage Systems, and Oregon State University's Corvallis campus.
EFSC Approves Boardman-to-Hemingway Transmission Line. In September, the Energy Facility Siting Council voted to approve the proposed Boardman-to-Hemingway Transmission Line. The 500-kilovolt, 300-mile transmission line will be owned by Idaho Power and is expected to run from Boardman, OR to a substation in southwest Idaho.
The proposed transmission line has been moving through the federal and state EFSC permitting process for over a decade (actively with EFSC since 2017), with dozens of public meetings and hundreds of hours of Oregon Department of Energy staff time. EFSC members, who are community volunteers appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Senate, also spent significant time over several years reviewing complex documents and analysis, hearing from experts, asking thoughtful questions, listening to public testimony, and addressing concerns raised. On Tuesday, EFSC voted 6 to 0 to approve the line.
ODOE Resumes In-Person Nuclear Emergency Drills. For the first time in over two years, the Oregon Department of Energy activated its in-person Agency Operations Center this year to participate in two nuclear emergency exercises for the Columbia Generating Station Nuclear Power Plant in Washington state. Emergency exercises were conducted remotely in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Experts from the Oregon Health Authority, Oregon State University, and Oregon Military Department, as well as emergency managers from Umatilla and Morrow Counties, joined ODOE staff to practice analyzing data and developing communications in the event of a CGS emergency. The team held two emergency exercises in the fall, and officials from the Federal Emergency Management Agency were on hand to observe a September exercise and returned to grade the October exercise.
ODOE’s library of reports and studies expanded in 2022, including studies on Floating Offshore Wind in Oregon, Small-Scale and Community-Based Renewable Energy Projects, and Renewable Hydrogen.
Biennial Energy Report Highlights Pathways for Oregon's Energy Future. The Oregon Department of Energy published its 2022 Biennial Energy Report on November 1, featuring fundamental information and data about energy in Oregon, highlights of emerging resources and technology, and deeper dives into challenging policy questions. How do we renew focus on energy efficiency? What workforce and supply chain challenges are facing Oregon’s energy sector? How do we chart a course for Oregon’s energy future?
Like past editions, the 2022 report was shaped by a data-driven process, equity considerations, and input from energy stakeholders and the public. New this year alongside the report is an online, interactive energy history timeline that shows how Oregon’s energy systems have evolved over time, from harnessing the state’s various natural resources to human events like technology development and energy crises.
We hope Oregonians dive in and share their feedback with us.
Oregon "Remains a National Leader in Energy Efficiency." Oregon once again earned high marks for energy efficiency efforts, according to the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy. ACEEE’s 2022 State Energy Scorecard ranks Oregon tied at No. 11. Each year, the ACEEE releases its State Energy Efficiency Scorecard, which measures states based on utility programs and policies, transportation policies, building energy codes, state government-led initiatives, and appliance and equipment standards. Fellow west coast state California earned the top spot among the rankings, while Washington tied with Oregon at No. 11.
The scorecard awarded full points to Oregon for state-led initiatives, including programs that support energy efficiency in homes and businesses. While the scorecard shows that Oregon continues to be a national leader in energy efficiency, the 2022 report marks the first time since the scorecard launched in 2006 that Oregon has landed outside the top 10 states. As Oregon moves toward a clean energy future, the state will need to support clean, renewable energy at the same time it bolsters energy efficiency improvements.
ODOE Publishes Electric and Alternative Fuel School Bus Cost Tool and Guidebook. The Oregon Department of Energy published a cost analysis tool and guidebook this year for Oregon school districts interested in adding zero emission buses to their fleets. The Electric and Alternative Fuel School Bus Lifecycle Cost Analysis Tool analyzes different fuel types for school buses and summarizes the estimated costs for different alternative fuel buses—including electric, propane, natural gas, and different types of diesel. Having simplified access to this information can be useful for school districts planning transportation budgets and goals.
Paired with the cost analysis tool is the Guidebook to School Bus Electrification, with information, recommendations, and financial resources (such as Public Purpose Charge funding) for Oregon school districts looking to add electric and alternative fuel buses to their fleets.
Some school districts in Oregon have already deployed or are in the process of procuring electric school buses. The first Oregon school district to begin running electric buses was Beaverton School District, so ODOE invited Beaverton third graders to help illustrate the guidebook. The agency held a contest and received more than 20 submissions from the district’s third grade classes with images illustrating thriving communities with electric buses, people, animals, and schools! Be sure to check out the tool, guidebook, and its colorful artwork on ODOE’s Government and Fleets webpage.