Oregon Submits Comments to the House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis

Oregon Department of Energy Director Janine Benner and Robin Freeman, our Associate Director for Government Relations, traveled to Washington, D.C. in September to meet with Oregon’s Congressional delegation and others about the work ODOE is doing for the state.

When they met with Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici, who sits on the House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis, she shared that the Committee was requesting public input about what the U.S. should be doing to fight climate change – including actions the U.S. could take around transportation, electricity, agriculture, and resilience, among others. The Committee will use the feedback to develop recommendations for policies, strategies, and innovations to reduce harmful greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to the climate crisis. 

The Oregon Department of Energy developed a coordinated response with 15 fellow State of Oregon agencies and the Governor’s Office to respond to these important questions. Among Oregon's recommendations: expand and continue federal incentives for adoption of electric vehicles and alternative fuels, reverse the rollback of fuel economy standards, support renewable natural gas development, develop a national renewable portfolio standard, encourage thermal decarbonization in buildings, design national smart thermostat programs, invest in new renewable technologies, and more.

Read Oregon's complete comments, which were submitted to the House Select Committee on November 22.