May 2021 Newsletter
Road Trip: Oregon's Transportation Fuels
With warmer months around the corner, we can expect more Oregonians will be packing up to hit the road this summer. Whether it’s planes, trains, or automobiles, travelers will need fuel to reach their destinations. Here in Oregon, we spend about $7.6 billion on transportation fuels each year, from gasoline and diesel to jet fuel and electricity. So where do those fuels come from?
On our blog this month and in our 2020 Biennial Energy Report, we share how Oregon acquires its various transportation fuels. While interest is growing for alternative fuels, like electric vehicles, over 90 percent of our transportation fuels are still petroleum-based. In fact, gasoline represents over half of the state’s transportation fuel use. Dive in to more details on ODOE's blog.
Yellowhawk Tribal Health Center's Sustainability Shines
In the Oregon Department of Energy's 2020 Biennial Energy Report, we higlighted some of the cool stories happening around energy in Oregon. One of those stories was about the Yellowhawk Tribal Health Center, located on the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation.
The health center is enrolled in Energy Trust of Oregon’s Path to Net Zero. Not only is it the first emerging net zero energy health care building in Oregon, but it is the first tribal building to make this commitment as well.
Designed to operate at an efficiency 60 percent greater than typical buildings of its type and achieve an estimated $58,000 in annual energy cost savings, the health center has potential to reach net zero energy operation in the future with installation of additional solar panels. The infrastructure necessary for this has already been constructed on the roof of the building, so achieving net zero certification is well within reach for the health center. Energy saving features include efficient LED lighting, high-performance heating, ventilation and air-conditioning, and an improved building envelope. Learn more in our Energy 101 on net zero buildings.
Get Toasty with Solar this Summer
Looking for some fun energy activities for the kids and kids-at-heart this summer? Check out our website for resources on making a paper wind turbine, conducting a home energy audit, making a potato battery, and more.
ODOE Director Janine Benner recruited a couple of young Oregonians on a recent sunny day to demonstrate how to make a solar oven out of a pizza box. Check out the gooey, toasty-marshmallowresults here!
This is a (Virtual) Drill
The Oregon Department of Energy's Nuclear Safety and Emergency Preparedness division leads the agency in annual nuclear emergency exercises that practice how the agency would respond in the event of an emergency at the Hanford Nuclear Site or the Columbia Generation Station nuclear power plant. Normally, we would stand up an Agency Operations Center at ODOE and practice gathering information from our partners in Washington, evaluating potential risks to Oregon, and developing mock news releases to share information with the public. But in 2020, ODOE's regular drills were postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
This month, we were back in action and able to test how we would respond in a virtual environment to an emergency at the Hanford Site. The exercise scenario included damage from a vehicle crashing into the Waste Encapsulation Storage Facility, where almost 2,000 highly radioactive capsules containing Cesium and Strontium are stored in underwater pools. We practiced connecting and communicating through virtual tools until the exercise concluded. We identified ways to improve our response capabilities, and we'll take those lessons learned forward to the fall, when we'll participate in a FEMA-graded emergency exercise for the Columbia Generating Station. Learn more about ODOE's nuclear safety and emergency preparedness work on our website.
Volvo Rolls Out its New Electric Truck
On May 5, ODOE's Assistant Director for Planning and Innovation, Alan Zelenka, joined Congressman Peter DeFazio in Eugene to check out Volvo Trucks' new electric truck. The company is testing out the electric model, which has a battery range of about 100-125 miles! Alan was pleased to speak at the event about the rise of electric vehicles in Oregon, and acknowledged how electric trucks like this can help reduce emissions while delivering Oregon-grown products, like filberts, wine, ond other crops. Check out more details about the event, and learn more about EVs in Oregon on our website.
Reports from Around the Agency
In case you missed it, ODOE held a public webinar on May 13 on Energy + Climate, featuring information from our 2020 Biennial Energy Report. If you couldn't tune in, you can watch a video of the presentation online. Be sure to sign up for email updates for future webinars!
ODOE joined fellow public agencies and organizations to celebrate Public Service Recognition Week earlier this month. Since we were apart again this year, ODOE's Leadership Team put together a somewhat-goofy, heartfelt video for our stellar, mission-driven ODOE Team to thank them for their commitment to public service.
Sustainable Northwest and Energy Trust of Oregon are hosting a 2021 Resilience Planning Workshop for Local Governments on June 4. The virtual event will connect city and county staff with funding, resources, and other organizations to help with planning and implementation for more resilient communities and preparation for future disasters. ODOE Senior Policy Analysts Adam Schultz and Rob Del Mar will both be leading breakout sessions during the event. Learn more.
Earlier this month, Energy Northwest began its 25th refueling of the Columbia Generating Station – a nuclear power plant located near Richland, Washington that supplies some electricity to Oregon utilities. Learn more about the refueling process on our blog.
We were excited to learn that the City of Portland's Bureau of Planning & Sustainability took home another award from the U.S. Department of Energy for the City's home energy scoring program. Learn more about home energy scoring on our website.
Oregon’s Building Codes Division published newly-required energy code training videos for Building Officials, inspectors, and plans examiners last month, which cover the significant changes made to both the Residential and Commercial Energy Codes that became effective on April 1 (with a grace period to October 1, 2021). Additional resources are available and being added to BCD’s commercial energy efficiency and residential code programs pages. The Oregon Department of Energy also supports code development as well as stakeholder involvement through its Energy Code Stakeholder Panel and by providing trainings and energy code assistance for industry. ODOE encourages stakeholders to engage with this panel to vet ideas that may become the basis for energy code change submittals to BCD. Visit BCD and ODOE online for more information.
The Oregon Department of Transportation recently announced the release of a new tool that will help Oregon transit agencies incorporate more zero emission buses into their fleets. ODOT’s Electric and Alternative Fuel Transit Bus Lifecycle Cost Analysis Tool was developed in collaboration with the Oregon Department of Energy, Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, and other Zero Emission Vehicle Interagency Work Group partners.
The Northwest Power & Conservation Council is working on its 2021 Power Plan. Check out its latest video about the process, and get involved on the Council's website.
We're hiring! ODOE is recruiting for a Grants Officer. If you or someone you know has experience working on federal grants and are passionate about making positive change through public service, apply by June 14.
Volunteers are currently being recruited to serve on the Oregon Hanford Cleanup Board. The 20-member board provides input to the U.S. Department of Energy and its regulators on the Hanford Nuclear Site cleanup. Learn More.
The Energy Facility Siting Council, a governor-appointed volunteer council responsible for the review and oversight of large-scale energy facilities, is also recruiting potential news members. Submit an interest form through the Governor's office, and contact Todd Cornett, ODOE's Assistant Director for Siting and the Council Secretary, with questions.
COVID-19 continues to influence how Oregonians live their daily lives. ODOE's Salem office remains closed to public walk-in traffic, but our services remain available. ODOE meetings are being held remotely. Keep an eye on our online calendar and sign up for emails to receive meeting notices and information on how to participate.
Upcoming Meetings
Energy Advisory Work Group | June 2, 2021 | Via Webinar
Oregon Global Warming Commission | June 4, 2021 | Via Webinar
Energy Code Stakeholder Panel | June 15, 2021 | Via Webinar
Energy Facility Siting Council | June 24-25, 2021 | Via Webinar