February 2024 Newsletter
Stay Up to Speed on Oregon's Energy Facilities
Did you know the Oregon Department of Energy’s energy facility siting team and the Energy Facility Siting Council currently have more than a dozen state jurisdictional energy facilities in the review pipeline? Most of the facilities that are under review or have been proposed are renewable solar and wind facilities, with a few transmission lines also in the mix.
With so many projects in the line-up, ODOE wants to make sure Oregonians can stay in the loop in this important public process. In addition to providing individual facility updates on our website and by email to interested people, our siting team provides a monthly update that outlines all projects that are in review, including current status and what’s on the horizon so Oregonians can stay informed about progress and view opportunities to get involved.
A high-level dashboard on ODOE’s website shows what’s new at the beginning of each month, including a list of approved facilities that are under construction, facilities that have recently changed status or have upcoming meetings, estimated dates for next steps or milestones, and much more. ODOE also includes administrative rulemaking updates and upcoming opportunities for the public to weigh in.
Oregonians who want more details can also view a complete monthly report online that provides at-a-glance tables of project statuses as well as detailed updates for each project. In addition to outlining the phase, status, and location of new and proposed facilities, ODOE also provides tables of approved facilities that have proposed amendments.
ODOE’s team updates the monthly report within the first few days of a new month. You can also sign up to receive an email once a month when the report is ready. Oregonians can learn more about the state’s energy facility siting process and the Energy Facility Siting Council, access fact sheets and other helpful information, and view maps of projects on ODOE’s website.
2023 By the Numbers
In January, we reflected on the previous year through our Year in Review, where we shared important milestones and exciting updates from the past year. We also like to look back at some of our specific programs by the numbers, including our incentive programs.
Our new 2023 By the Numbers shows an exciting year of serving Oregon homeowners, renters, businesses, Tribes, and other organizations. We issued over $5.3 million in Oregon Solar + Storage Rebates for nearly 1,500 projects across the state, including 51 organizations that serve low- and moderate-income Oregonians. Over $830,000 in rebates were issued for energy efficient heat pumps in Oregon rental dwellings, and we identified one Tribe and four regional administrators to serve six Oregon regions for the Community Heat Pump Deployment Program. Nearly 350 wildfire survivors received rebates for rebuilding their properties with energy efficiency in mind.
See more of our 2023 By the Numbers online, and learn more about our available incentive programs on ODOE's website.
ODOE to Host Planning Update on Home Energy Rebate Programs March 6
Join the Oregon Department of Energy on Wednesday, March 6, 2024 at 3 p.m. online for a planning update on Oregon’s potential Home Energy Rebate Programs.
In 2023, the U.S. Department of Energy released initial guidance for states and territories to apply for Home Energy Rebate Program funding from the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act. With this federal funding, states and territories will develop, implement, and enhance residential energy efficiency and electrification programs for U.S. households.
The Oregon Department of Energy is working to receive funding to develop state programs that will benefit Oregonians and align with Oregon’s energy goals. One element of the programs is determining the eligibility and distribution of these funds. ODOE hosted three listening sessions in October 2023 to hear from Oregon residents and Oregon-based organizations on the design of the Home Energy Rebate Programs. Feedback from these meetings, as well as further research and follow-up discussions with many of the attendees from the listening sessions, helped shape ODOE’s application development.
ODOE is on track to submit the state’s application to U.S. DOE this spring, which will move us one step closer to making these rebates available to Oregonians. The March planning update will include an overview of the federal program guidelines and discuss areas where Oregon intends to customize the programs, based on the feedback received over the last several months. The public webinar will be hosted virtually. Learn more.
New Interactive Tools Highlight Findings from Cooling Needs Study
The Oregon Department of Energy has two new interactive tools highlighting the important data and key findings of the Oregon Cooling Needs Study, which ODOE published in December 2023.
Following the 2021 heat dome event, during which at least 100 Oregonians died of heat-related illnesses – often in their own homes – the Oregon Legislature directed the Oregon Department of Energy to report on the cooling needs of Oregon households that live in the housing types most vulnerable to heat. The study focused on publicly supported housing, manufactured and mobile homes, RVs being used as housing, and agricultural workforce housing, and found that over half of these types of homes have inadequate cooling equipment.
The study surveyed Oregonians across the state and gathered data by housing type and region to better understand cooling needs. It wasn’t a surprise to see the study’s findings that show significant need for cooling equipment in Oregon homes.
A new Heat Vulnerability Index is an interactive, online geographic information systems tool created to identify and measure the relative vulnerability to heat impacts across counties and census tracts. The index synthesizes existing data and uses a standardized scoring system to allow for statewide comparison and analysis. It visually displays all counties and census tracts and their relative vulnerability “scores” as a heat map.
Alongside the index tool is a new Oregon Cooling Needs StoryMap that presents key findings and data from the report in a user-friendly, easily digestible format. Learn more and read the complete report on ODOE's website.
On the Road on "Twos" Day
ODOE's On the Road blog series continues this month, as two members of our team hit the road to connect with communities on February 22 — or 2/22, affectionately known as “Twos” Day.
Community Navigator Sarah Moehrke had an opportunity to connect with community leaders at the League of Oregon Cities Small Cities Program's regional meeting in Reedsport. At the meeting, Sarah heard firsthand insights into community needs and aspirations, which will help her communicate tailored solutions and connect the various participating cities with relevant resources. Later she met with the Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua, and Siuslaw Indians to discuss a $1 million ODOE Community Renewable Energy Grant Program grant for the Tribes to build a net-metered solar and battery storage projects that can act as microgrids to power tribal buildings during grid outages. Sarah noted that while her meetings were different audiences, the theme of caring for people in a sustainable way clearly emerged.
Rural Energy Coordinator Alice Weston met with Klamath County leaders and residents to learn more about local needs. Alice joined a meeting coordinated by Klamath and Lake Community Action Services and a fellow Resource Assistance for Rural Environments AmeriCorp member Nolan Cochran. The meeting was a great gathering of community resource groups, and Alice had an opportunity to hear an update from Klamath Tribe's housing director, Kenneth Ruthardt. Alice also enjoyed an opportunity to meet with Larry Holzgang, the Regional Development Director for Business Oregon, who is a wealth of institutional knowledge with deep connections with community members in the Klamath Basin.
Read the full On the Road edition on ODOE's blog.
Senate Confirms Katie Imes as Energy Facility Siting Council's Newest Member
The Oregon Senate has confirmed Katie Imes of Lexington as the newest member of the Energy Facility Siting Council. Imes was appointed by Governor Kotek and confirmed by the Senate for a term beginning February 16, 2024 through June 20, 2027.
Imes brings a strong background in leadership and community involvement to the council and grew up in Umatilla and Hood River counties. She has served in several community roles in Morrow County, including on the county’s Public Transit Advisory Committee and its Cultural Coalition. Imes also worked as a county Public Transit Manager and currently serves on the Lexington Town Council.
Imes will join current council members Marcy Grail, Kent Howe, Perry Chocktoot, Cindy Condon, Ann Beier, and Richard Devlin. Members are selected to understand, evaluate, and deliberate complex issues associated with proposed energy facilities under state jurisdiction and how those facilities affect Oregonians, the environment, and nearby communities.
Learn more about the council and how to participate in the facility siting process on ODOE’s website.
Reports from Around the Agency
February rings in Black History Month — a time for reflection, recognition, and celebration of the many contributions of Black and African Americans. On our blog this month, ODOE Community Equity and Inclusion Analyst Lauren Rosenstein reflects in her own words on Black History Month and what it means for our agency and our work.
Join our team! Keep an eye on ODOE's website for open recruitments and please share with your networks.
The 2024 Oregon Legislative Session is underway. Check out ODOE's website for more on our work and priorities for session.
ODOE will host an Energy Advisory Work Group meeting on Monday, March 18. On the agenda: updates from Work Group members, information on the legislative session, ODOE's strategic plan, and upcoming projects like the Oregon Energy Strategy. Learn more on our website.
In the coming weeks, ODOE will release an opportunity announcement for our federal Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant program. Subgrants will be available to Oregon public bodies for projects that improve a community's energy efficiency. Keep an eye on our program page and sign up for email updates.
ODOE Director Janine Benner and Assistant Director for Planning and Innovation Alan Zelenka attended the 2024 National Association of State Energy Officials Energy Policy Outlook Conference in Washington, D.C. this month. In addition to connecting with other state energy officials, Janine served on a panel discussing how clean energy can support resilience and the climate, and Alan moderated a panel on market transformation strategies for buildings programs.
Earlier this month, ODOE's Nuclear Safety and Emergency Preparedness staff and other ODOE team members activated ODOE's Agency Operations Center to participate in an emergency exercise for the Columbia Generating Station nuclear power plant near Richland, WA (just 30 miles from Oregon's border). The team practiced over two days how we would respond in the event of an emergency that could affect Oregon's people, crops, and livestock. This was a dress rehearsal for a second exercise coming up in March that will be graded by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Learn more about ODOE's emergency preparedness and response work.
On February 21, the Community Heat Pump Deployment Program Advisory Council met for the first time and approved a council charter. Advisory council members include the Regional Administrators that received grants to stand up heat pump programs in their regions.
In the market for an electric vehicle? The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality has re-launched its prequalification application for the Oregon Clean Vehicle Charge Ahead rebate, which serves low- and moderate-income households. Learn more on Go Electric Oregon.
ODOE has several incentive programs up and running. Learn more about our energy incentives on ODOE's website.
We were excited to see that Oregon will receive $10 million in federal funding for public electric vehicle charger repairs, station upgrades, and additional fast charging ports at project sites.
UPCOMING MEETINGS
Federal Home Energy Rebates Planning Update | March 6, 2024 | Via Webinar
Energy Advisory Work Group | March 18, 2024 | Salem and Via Webinar
Energy Facility Siting Council | March 21-22, 2024| Salem and Via Webinar
Other Stakeholder Groups (click to see details)
Current Rulemakings (click to see details)
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