In this month's newsletter, ODOE shares a draft Oregon Energy Strategy for public comment, shines a spotlight on energy facility siting process improvements, celebrates another Community Renewable Energy Grant Program success, reflects on Oregon's history of climate goals, and more.

In this episode, we learn about the topics of the 2025 legislative session and Oregon’s nuclear future. We also hear from a company developing small modular reactors about their technology and potential roles for nuclear power.

2025 marks 50 years of Oregon Department of Energy public service. As we continue leading Oregon to a safe, equitable, clean, and sustainable future for the next 50 years (and beyond!), we’re reflecting on what got us here. This month, we take a look back at the history of Oregon’s climate goals.

Since 1975, Oregon’s Energy Facility Siting Council has been reviewing, approving, and decommissioning state-jurisdiction energy facilities across the state – including wind, solar, natural gas, and other energy generation facilities that help keep power running in Oregon homes and businesses. Over the past five decades, the process has evolved to better respond to Oregon’s energy needs and priorities, including updating administrative rules, improved methods to submit public comments, creating new materials like flyers and videos to support public involvement, and more.

The Oregon Department of Energy released the draft Oregon Energy Strategy for public comment Thurs., Aug. 14, 2025.

On this episode, we dive into the draft Oregon Energy Strategy, the five pathways outlined that represent the direction Oregon needs to go to meet the state’s energy goals, and why you should take the time to comment through Sept. 22.

The project was a recipient of a $900,000 construction grant from the first round of the Oregon Department of Energy’s Community Renewable Energy Program, also known as C-REP.

Last fall, ODOE welcomed RARE AmeriCorps member Sara Lark Millies-Lucke to the agency to serve as the Rural Resilience Analyst to provide research and recommendations on how ODOE could better serve and communicate with the state’s consumer-owned utilities and rural communities. We’ve shared several stories from Sara Lark and the Community Navigator team on our blog and want to thank her for her work with ODOE. In her final blog post, Sara Lark reflects on her work and lessons learned from the past year with ODOE.

In this month's newsletter, ODOE prepares to share draft policy recommendations for the Oregon Energy Strategy, launches a new weatherization program supporting consumer-owned utilities, celebrates 50 years of public service, shines a spotlight on storage paired with large energy facilities, and more.

The Oregon Climate Action Commission will meet online 9 a.m. to noon on Aug. 8, 2025.