2022 Legislative Session: Energy on the Move
The 2022 Legislative Session followed an energy-packed 2021 session, and made some additional moves for energy in Oregon — including new work for the Oregon Department of Energy.
In response to the heat dome event of 2021, in which at least 100 Oregonians died of heat-related illness often in their own homes, the legislature passed SB 1536 this year to bring much-needed heat relief. The bill directs ODOE to develop a $10 million heat pump deployment program, a $15 million grant/rebate program for installation of heat pumps by landlords, fund a $2 million grant for a Community Cooling Center program for extreme heat events, and to conduct a Cooling Needs Study to identify existing cooling — as well as barriers to cooling access — in government-supported housing.
Over 90 percent of all liquid fuel storage in Oregon can be found at the Critical Energy Infrastructure Hub in industrial NW Portland. As the state has considered readiness and resilience in the event of a Cascadia Subduction Zone earthquake, the CEI Hub’s location on infill along the Willamette River has raised significant concerns. SB 1567 builds on years of study and discussion and requires the largest bulk fuel terminals in the state to conduct seismic vulnerability studies and develop seismic risk mitigation plans. It also calls on ODOE to lead the development of an energy security plan to increase energy resilience in times of disaster.
Energy justice continued to be a topic of interest to legislators and to the Governor. One of the Governor’s priorities for the legislative session was to pass HB 4077, which reforms the Environmental Justice Task Force, renames it the Environmental Justice Council, and requires additional agencies to work with the new Council – including the Oregon Department of Energy. It also calls for the creation of an equity mapping tool that can be used by state agencies in their work. This mapping tool, as well as the work of the Environmental Justice Council, will influence the implementation of the 2021 suite of landmark energy legislation.
Finally, the 2022 Legislative Session was marked by a unique budget dynamic. State coffers reflected an influx of federal funding and unexpectedly high state revenue, and the legislature directed money toward some climate change and energy programs and projects — including $15 million more for the Oregon Clean Vehicle Rebate Program, $5 million more to ODOE’s Solar + Storage Rebate Program, and more.
With the 2023 long session on the horizon, eyes in the energy sector are focused on myriad task forces and studies expected to inform the 2023 session. The Oregon Department of Energy will release reports this fall on small-scale and community-based renewable energy projects, floating offshore wind, and renewable hydrogen. And the Oregon Global Warming Commission continues to work toward goals articulated in their recent Natural & Working Lands Proposal, as well as a to-be-released Roadmap to 2035.
Dive in to more detail in our 2022 Legislative Report.