2019 Year in Review
From our Director, Janine Benner
A year ago, I didn’t know if I would write a Year in Review letter from the Oregon Department of Energy for 2019. As 2018 wound to a close, we were looking at the possibility of a new Oregon Climate Authority, which would have absorbed ODOE’s energy programs and focused on fighting climate change in our state.
For now, ODOE remains ODOE – and as we turn the corner to a new decade (though there is some debate about that), I’m even more hopeful about our agency’s future and the future of energy in Oregon. We kicked off a strategic planning effort this fall that will help us prioritize our work, measure progress, and strengthen alignment between our agency goals, programs, and budget. Thanks to those of you who participated in our survey, interviews, or in focus groups – we’ll have more to share soon.
Early 2019 was tough for parts of Oregon, which were hit with record-setting snow that made travel difficult thanks to downed trees and power lines. Working with our partners, we helped arrange safe delivery of much-needed propane to Oakridge, which was inaccessible by road and without power for several days. In the spring, we announced our final round of Renewable Energy Development Grants, and awarded grants in two phases this summer for small and large renewable energy projects. In May, we issued a Draft Proposed Order for the proposed 300-mile Boardman to Hemingway Transmission Line, and held public information meetings in each of the five Oregon counties through which the proposed line would cross. Over the summer, we published the new Oregon Guidebook for Local Energy Resilience for small and medium electric utilities, and celebrated the halfway mark to Oregon’s goal of at least 50,000 registered zero emission vehicles on Oregon roads by the end of 2020. This fall, we arranged a tour of the Hanford Nuclear Site for a handful of Oregon legislators, Hanford Cleanup Board members, and others, and learned that Oregon ranked among the top 10 most energy efficient U.S. states for the 13th year in a row.
We’re already looking ahead for 2020. This month, we’re launching a new Solar + Storage Rebate Program that the legislature passed in 2019 (HB 2618). The program will help more Oregonians – including low-income families – make the switch to renewable energy. We are also preparing for the 2020 legislative session, where we’ll present to the Joint Committee on Ways and Means about ODOE’s programs and budget. And we’ll continue our strategic planning effort through 2020 to lay out ODOE’s priorities and imperatives as we celebrate our 45th year serving Oregon.
Thanks for being part of our work this past year. I’m grateful for the opportunity to serve Oregon, and to lead the outstanding team of professionals here at the Oregon Department of Energy. We look forward to continuing to collaborate with you in 2020 – and beyond.
Best wishes,
Janine Benner
Director, Oregon Department of Energy
In April, we published the Oregon Solar Dashboard, an interactive tool showing the rapid expansion of solar facilities between 1999 and 2018. In December, we updated the dashboard to include 2019 data. A lot changed for solar in Oregon over 20 years – check it out on our website.
In January, we joined the City of Salem to celebrate the groundbreaking for an upgraded 650-kilowatt cogeneration facility at the Willow Lake Wastewater Treatment Plant. The plant produces heat and power from biogas, and ODOE supported the upgrade with a $250,000 Renewable Energy Development Grant.
Oregon continues to lead on energy efficiency.
Earlier this fall, just a few months after ODOE submitted our statewide application for the American Council on Energy Efficient Economy's annual ranking of most efficient states, we got the good news. Oregon ranks ninth most energy efficient in the country. Even better: this is the 13th year we've cracked the top 10.
In May, ODOE issued a Draft Proposed Order for the proposed Boardman to Hemingway Transmission Line, a 500-kilovolt line that would extend about 300 miles across five Oregon counties. We also held five public information meetings this summer, one in each of the counties.
In August, we celebrated reaching the halfway mark to Oregon's goal of at least 50,000 registered zero emission vehicles on our roads by the end of 2020. As of December 1, 2019, there are 29,147 registered. Can we add 20,000 more in 2020?
2019 marked 30 years since the federal government and the State of Washington signed what's known as the Tri-Party Agreement, which mapped out a plan to ensure proper cleanup of the Hanford Nuclear Site in southeast Washington. While cleanup progress has been made, there is still a lot of work to do.
ODOE has played an active role in the cleanup for more than 30 years – and we'll keep at it until cleanup is done.
In November, ODOE developed a coordinated response with 15 fellow State of Oregon agencies to respond to important questions raised by the House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis. Among Oregon's recommendations: expand and continue federal incentives to accelerate the adoption of zero emission vehicles, reverse the rollback of fuel economy standards, support renewable natural gas development, and more.
ODOE Senior Energy Analyst Adam Schultz visited with representatives of 34 consumer-owned utilities at 26 different COU locations this year – with more in the works! Adam shared ODOE's new Resilience Guidebook (see below), discussed the balance of fish and power objectives in the Federal Columbia River Power System, and more.
For Earth Day this year, ODOE celebrated 11 years of certification through Marion County's EarthWISE program, which recognizes businesses and organizations in the county that are committed to environmentally-friendly practices. ODOE was first certified in 2008, and was the first State of Oregon agency to earn the EarthWISE title.
This summer, ODOE published the Oregon Guidebook for Local Energy Resilience for Small and Medium Electric Utilities. The guidebook identified incremental actions electric utilities can take today so they are better prepared in the event of a major emergency. The guidebook was the result of a partnership between ODOE and Central Lincoln People's Utility District during a grid modernization policy academy sponsored by the National Governor's Association.
In August, an Oregon contingent including ODOE staff went to Barrow, Alaska to learn about the Crowley Maritime Corporation's fueling operation, which demonstrated its capabilities to provide "over-the-shore" bulk fuel deliveries. In the event of a major emergency like a Cascadia Subduction Zone earthquake, some Oregon coastal communities may need over-the-shore deliveries of critical supplies.
ODOE, working with the Department of Land Conservation and Development and OSU's Institute for Natural Resources, successfully applied for a $1.1 million grant from the Department of Defense. The grant will offer an opportunity for us to collect information about locations for current and future renewable energy and transmission development, and build an understanding of the constraints and opportunities that come with specific locations. More to come in 2020.
In September, ODOE Director Janine Benner and Federal Projects Coordinator Sean Mole presented to the Senate Interim Committee on Environment and Natural Resources to discuss the state's permitting process for the proposed Jordan Cove Liquefied Natural Gas facility and associated pipeline near Coos Bay. Watch ODOE's presentation, followed by fellow state agency updates.
On November 22, the Energy Facility Siting Council approved the fourth EFSC-jurisdictional solar farm in Oregon. The Wheatridge Wind Energy Facility is approved to be built in both Morrow and Umatilla counties, and was originally approved in 2017 as a 500-megawatt wind facility. At its November meeting, EFSC approved an approximately 900-acre expansion, including the addition of a 150-megawatt solar component and up to 41 battery storage systems dispersed around the site. It’s the second state-jurisdictional energy facility to combine wind + solar + battery storage. Learn more about the project on ODOE’s website.