June 2021 Newsletter
2021 Legislative Session Wraps Up with New Programs for ODOE
As the legislative session closed on June 26, the Oregon Department of Energy celebrated a successful session. We passed our priority bills, including new energy efficiency standards for consumer products, updates to our radioactive waste program, and fixes for laws guiding energy facility siting in Oregon and our Energy Facility Siting Council. We fulfilled a goal to be of service to decision-makers this session. Our staff participated in seven informational hearings, and helped educate legislators about issues ranging from the history of nuclear energy in Oregon to the basics about energy markets. The 2020 Energy Report was held up as a resource time and again, with many articles directly related to legislation. And, in the last days of session, we received $10 million for continuing the popular Oregon Solar + Storage Rebate Program.
In addition to our own bills and goals for the session, the agency was also given new work to do. HB 2021 – this session’s highest-profile energy bill – not only establishes a 100% clean energy standard for Oregon, it also includes a $50 million incentive program to promote energy resilience and small-scale clean energy projects, housed at ODOE. Our agency will also be involved in providing funds for energy efficiency in wildfire rebuilding efforts. Program and administrative support for these incentive programs will be supported by general fund dollars. Finally, legislators asked us to carry out studies on small-scale renewable energy, renewable hydrogen, floating offshore wind, and regional transmission organizations.
We’ll be busy, but we are ready and excited – and appreciate that the legislature provided resources for us to meet these new demands. We look forward to working with key stakeholders and the public when implementing new programs and undertaking new responsibilities. You can learn more about our agency bills and view the informational hearings at which we presented on our legislative webpage. We are also working on an end-of-session report, summarizing energy-related bills, which will be available in July.
ODOE Awarded $100,000 USDA Grant to Support Rural & Agricultural Energy Audits
The Oregon Department of Energy has been awarded a $100,000 Energy Audit and Renewable Energy Development Assistance Grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. ODOE will use the grant dollars to support energy audits for Oregon agricultural producers and rural small businesses. An energy audit may include inspection of buildings, processes, and/or equipment to analyze energy consumption and identify efficiency improvements to reduce a business’s energy use and costs. Energy audits can help prioritize potential improvement projects based on energy savings, payback period, and other factors.
Federal, local, and utility funding may be available to Oregon agricultural producers and rural small businesses that want to invest in energy efficiency improvements, and an energy audit is often a required first step in funding applications. But the cost of an audit, which can range from $5,000 up to $20,000, can be a significant barrier. ODOE will use its grant funding to pay for 75 percent of the cost of energy audits conducted through the program.
ODOE anticipates launching the program this summer. More information, including how to sign up for program updates, is available on ODOE’s website.
Oregon Adopts New Energy Efficiency Standards for 11 Products
In 2020, the Oregon Department of Energy led a rulemaking process to develop new energy efficiency standards for 11 products, including computers and computer monitors, commercial dishwashers, commercial fryers, and others. The Oregon Legislature took up a bill during the 2021 session to formally adopt the efficiency standards, and they were signed into law by Governor Brown on June 1. Most of the Oregon standards will go into effect for products manufactured after January 1, 2022 (with the exception of high-CRI lamps, which is one year later).
As technology improves over time, household and commercial equipment is becoming more efficient – which reduces both consumer energy costs and cuts down on harmful greenhouse gas emissions. Setting minimum standards for products and appliances ensures Oregonians can access the most efficient options available on the market (and ultimately lower their energy bills).
Energy efficiency is an important part of Oregon’s energy landscape, and in 2018, ODOE reported on potential savings from adopting additional energy standards. We estimate that the 11 new standards adopted in 2021 will lead to saving nearly $30 million in annual energy costs for Oregonians by 2025, and $100 million by 2035. The standards will also cut annual greenhouse gas emissions by nearly 50,000 metric tonnes of CO2 emissions by 2025 – and over 100,000 by 2035. Learn more on our blog.
ODOE will conduct administrative rulemaking later this year to implement the bill. Sign up to receive email updates for future rulemaking efforts.
Grounded Podcast: Hello Arcimoto!
On our latest episode of Grounded, we're talking with Mark Frohnmayer, Founder and CEO of Oregon-grown Arcimoto. Arcimoto is an electric vehicle manufacturing company that has created fun, three-wheeled EVs that Frohnmayer describes driving as "riding a dragon." Who could resist that? Listen up on our blog or your favorite podcast app.
Electricity on the Move: Transmission in Oregon
Oregonians – and beyond – count on a network of transmission lines to move high-voltage electricity across long distances to power our homes and businesses. The lines connect electricity customers to resources that generate electricity, which are often located far away from communities. For example, Oregon’s coastal towns are often powered by facilities east of the Coastal and Cascade mountain ranges.
On our blog this month, we shared some highlights from our 2020 Biennial Energy Report's Energy 101 on Electricity Transmission. We cover the basics about the transmission system, Pacific Northwest trends, how new transmission lines are planned and built, and more.
Connecting energy generating facilities to end-use customers requires a lot of transmission infrastructure – thousands of miles in Oregon and across the Pacific Northwest, and over 360,000 miles nationwide. Technology advancements and energy policies are driving – and will continue to drive – changes to the transmission system, including: advancements and falling costs of renewable and storage technologies, customer- and policy-driven clean energy goals and requirements, and increased electrification of energy uses that have traditionally been met by non-electric energy supplies (such as electric vehicles). Read more on our blog.
Solar Shines Bright
On June 25, Oregon’s Energy Facility Siting Council approved its seventh EFSC-jurisdictional facility with a renewable solar generation component. The Council voted to issue a Site Certificate for the Madras Solar Energy Facility, which, once constructed, will include up to 63 megawatts of solar and potentially a 63-megawatt battery storage system in Jefferson County.
Among the other EFSC-approved solar facilities, Wheatridge Renewable Energy Facility III has started construction in Morrow County, Montague Solar Facility has started construction in Gilliam County, and Bakeoven Solar Project has started construction in Wasco County. There are now a total 412 solar PV megawatts under construction, and another seven facilities with a solar component are currently under review by EFSC.
The Oregon Department of Energy encourages Oregonians to get involved in the public siting process. Our Energy Facility Siting Division, which staffs EFSC, provides a monthly update on energy facilities in Oregon. View it online or sign up to receive it by email.
Reports from Around the Agency
ODOE's email addresses have changed! As of June 23, emails to ODOE staff should be directed to @energy.oregon.gov (replacing @oregon.gov). Old email addresses will continue to redirect for a while, but please update your address books with the new version.
One of the ways ODOE delivers on our mission is by serving as a central repository of energy data, information, and analysis. We're excited to be working on a few new reports and studies over the next couple of years. Track progress on our website, including a Biennial Zero Emission Vehicle Report and a study on Regional Transmission Organizations... with more to come.
Speaking of zero emission vehicles, ODOE hosted a workshop on June 29 to gather stakeholder feedback on some of the state's ZEV resources, including ODOE's Electric Vehicle Dashboard, the Go Electric Oregon website, and the Governor's EV Leadership Awards. ODOE and our EV partners will use the feedback to improve these resources over the next year.
ODOE Facilities Engineer Blake Shelide has been named to the 2024 International Energy Conservation Code Development Committee's Commercial Energy Code Consensus Committee.
ODOE has encouraged the U.S. Department of Energy to revisit energy efficiency standards for lightbulbs that were proposed in early 2017 and put on hold by the previous Federal administration. ODOE pointed out that energy efficiency standards benefit consumers by saving energy, reducing costs, and reducing GHG emissions. Federal standards also provide consistency in the marketplace and ensure access to efficient products for all consumers.
We know the "Big One" – a Cascadia Subduction Zone earthquake –can happen at any time. ODOE is gearing up to participate in Cascadia Rising 2022 next June, a full-scale emergency exercise to practice how we'd respond to a Cascadia quake and ensure fuel deliveries to Oregon's critical services. ODOE participated in smaller-scale communications drills this month through the U.S. Department of Energy, including a satellite phone test and a social media response drill.
This month, ODOE joined the #ShowYourStripes movement to bring attention to the climate crisis. Developed by climate scientist Ed Hawkins, the Show Your Stripes tool creates an image showing how average temperature has changed over the last 170+ years. It doesn't look promising for Oregon – learn more on our blog.
NW Natural, Oregon’s largest natural gas utility, plans to issue a request for proposals on July 8, 2021 for various renewable natural gas projects, including interest in existing RNG projects; feedstock agreements; sales of raw biogas and pipeline-quality RNG; and new RNG projects. The RFP can be viewed on NW Natural’s RNG Page beginning on July 8, and initial responses will be due August 16, 2021.
We were excited to learn about a new electric vehicle car-sharing program launched in Hood River. The Clean Rural Shared Electric Mobility (CRuSE) Project hopes to demonstrate a financially sustainable model for EV car-sharing in rural communities. Learn more.
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 are 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 Facility Siting Council | July 22-23, 2021 | Via Webinar
Oregon Global Warming Commission | August 4, 2021 | Via Webinar
Energy Code Stakeholder Panel | September 21, 2021 | Via Webinar
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