What Oregon Spends on Energy
In 2022, Oregon spent $19.5 billion on energy, an increase from the recent low of $12 billion in 2020. Transportation accounts for about half of our state’s energy expenditures and sees the largest swings in price. The variability in what we spend on energy is driven primarily by transportation fuel costs. In 2022, Oregonians sent about $11 billion in transportation dollars – nearly double the amount in 2020 – to other states and countries where extraction, processing, and refining of transportation fuels occurs.
Fast Facts
Oregon’s Total Energy Expenditures vs. Total Energy Consumption. (Note: Figure shows expenditures in nominal dollars, which are not adjusted for inflation.)
$19.5 billion: Oregonians spent on energy in 2022, a more than 60% increase from 2020.
12.4 cents: Oregon’s average residential retail price per kilowatt hour of electricity for 2022.
6.55%: Percentage of Oregon’s GDP spent on energy in 2022.
Read full “Energy Costs & Economy” section
Energy Consumption and Economic and Population Growth
Oregon’s GDP, Population, and Energy Consumption by Year
Energy efficiency and changes in our economy have led to decreases in Oregon’s total and per capita energy use over time. In fact, as the economy and our population have grown, our energy consumption has stayed relatively flat with a slight decline.
Oregon’s emphasis on energy efficiency has helped reduce both total and per capita energy use despite an increasing population and a growing economy, thereby avoiding the need to build new electricity generation plants to match the growth – though the region has seen some generating facilities closed and new ones come on board during this time.
Energy Burden
Percentage of Oregon Households Experiencing High or Severe Energy Burden County More: County Profiles
Home energy burden is commonly used to refer to the percent of household income spent on home energy bills, including electricity, natural gas, and other home heating fuels.
The energy affordability gap is the difference between a household’s actual energy costs and what may be considered an “affordable” energy burden level. Oregon’s energy affordability gap is estimated to be about $277 million per year, or eight times the federal funding Oregon receives for energy assistance.
4x: In Oregon, low-income households spend over four times more on energy costs compared to the average spending of non-low-income households on energy
477,540: Number of Oregon households that were energy burdened in 2022, an increase of more than 100,000 households in 2020
28.4%: Percentage of all Oregon households that were energy burdened in 2022,5 a 2% increase from 2020
Energy Jobs in Oregon
Number of Energy Jobs in Oregon by Type (2020, 2022)
Energy employment is often sorted into energy efficiency, traditional energy, and motor vehicles jobs. In Oregon, most energy industry employees work in energy efficiency, including high-efficiency and traditional HVAC and renewable heating and cooling firms, in addition to other specialized areas.
Traditional energy jobs include energy extraction, as well as power generation, transmission, distribution, and storage. Motor vehicles jobs include both the manufacture and distribution of parts and plug in hybrid, battery electric and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles for all industries, from large-scale industrial vehicles to small recreational vehicles such as golf carts.
Building Oregon’s Energy Workforce
With unprecedented federal funding from the 2021 Infrastructure Investments & Jobs Act and 2022 Inflation Reduction Act comes support for building a clean energy workforce.
ODOE and our partners will be rolling out programs to support workforce development and training, including for disadvantaged communities as defined by Justice40.
OREGON’S ENERGY STRATEGY
The Oregon Legislature directed ODOE, through House Bill 3630, to develop an Oregon Energy Strategy. The bill requires the strategy to evaluate pathways, focusing on the most affordable solutions, to meet state energy policy and greenhouse gas objectives.
The energy strategy will evaluate the costs and benefits of different pathways and develop policy recommendations. Those could be legislative or policy actions, programs, funding, or recommendations on areas requiring further study.