2023 Year in Review

From Our Director 

One of my favorite end-of-year activities is to look back and reflect on the challenges we faced, the progress we made, and the successes we celebrated together over the past year.

2023 was another banner year at the Oregon Department of Energy. We kicked off the new year by announcing a second round of funding through our Community Renewable Energy Grant Program, and selected 39 awardees in June. We were thrilled to roll out new incentive programs for heat pumps, and the Oregon Legislature allocated additional funding for us to continue our Oregon Solar + Storage Rebate Program. We published a new Biennial Zero Emission Vehicle Report to report on progress toward the state’s electric vehicle goals, and celebrated the state’s first electric school buses supported with Public Purpose Charge funding. Our energy facility siting team had another record-setting year reviewing energy facilities, which included receiving a Notice of Intent for the first state-jurisdiction solar facility proposed in the Willamette Valley. We continued monitoring the safe cleanup of the Hanford Nuclear Site, and our ODOE experts weighed in on some Hanford contamination that regulators discovered was worse than originally thought.

As we reflect on all we accomplished together in 2023, I’m even more excited about what’s to come in 2024 – and what it means for Oregon’s equitable clean energy transition.

We’ll have new programs and services to offer thanks to a significant level of federal funding. A pair of home energy rebate programs will help Oregonians make energy efficient home improvements, like installing heat pumps. We’ll provide funding for projects that strengthen the resilience of our electric grid, and support workforce training for energy contractors and auditors. We hope to be awarded dollars under the Federal “Solar for All” program to further expand access to residential solar projects across the state.

When we talk about an equitable clean energy transition, we mean a transition that doesn’t leave people behind. Built into the federal funding is a Justice40 Initiative, which will ensure that at least 40 percent of program benefits flow to disadvantaged communities in our state. ODOE was thrilled to welcome new members to the team this year that will help us better reach and serve Oregon’s diverse communities, as well as help them navigate and take advantage of clean energy and energy efficiency opportunities.

Alongside our programs, ODOE will also be developing a new State Energy Strategy for Oregon that will identify pathways to achieving our state’s energy policy objectives – a project that was recommended in our 2022 Biennial Energy Report. The strategy will be developed through robust public engagement and consultation with Tribes, relevant state agencies and organizations, and other stakeholders. We’re already getting started on this exciting project and will submit a final report on the strategy to the Legislature by November 1, 2025.

We’re also taking a look at Oregon’s energy security, and we’ll submit a report to the U.S. Department of Energy and the Oregon Legislature in September 2024 that identifies risks to electricity, liquid fuel, and natural gas/propane systems – and proposes ways to mitigate those risks. We’ll again be working with diverse stakeholders to gather valuable input as we finalize an Energy Security Plan for Oregon.

But first, let’s celebrate 2023. It’s always hard to narrow down what to feature in a Year in Review, but I hope you’ll take a moment to look back on what we’ve achieved together (you can also view past monthly newsletters on our blog). ODOE sincerely appreciates your engagement over the past year, and we look forward to working with you in the years to come.

It’s my honor to serve as Director of the Oregon Department of Energy, to work with you, and to lead the incredible team of professionals here at the agency.

Happy New Year!

ODOE Director Janine Benner

ODOE published the second edition of the Biennial Zero Emission Vehicle Report in September. In the report, we discuss electric vehicle adoption trends and how with more than 70,000 EVs now on Oregon's roads, our goal is within reach to have 25 percent of registrations and at least 50 percent of vehicle sales being electric by 2030.

Oregon's Clean Energy Future Makes Moves in the Legislative Session 

The 2023 legislative session followed energy-packed 2021 and 2022 sessions. Legislators on both sides of the aisle were interested in the clean energy transition and dealing with the effects of climate change, such as wildfire and drought. 2023 bills added several new programs and obligations to ODOE – and over time, about two dozen new staff to support that work. Some of this new work includes:

  • Development of a State Energy Strategy that will evaluate trade-offs and consider pathways to meet Oregon's energy and climate objectives.

  • A new building performance standard program that will gather energy use data about the state's largest buildings and then work with building owners to reduce emissions.

  • A major update to the Oregon Global Warming Commission – now called the Oregon Climate Action Commission – with new members, new reporting requirements, and new objectives and funding for climate solutions on natural and working lands.

  • Support for a Community Navigator Program, which will help less-resourced communities access funding for energy projects and capacity.

  • A grant program to support energy resilience planning for all 36 counties.

Dive into the details about the many energy-related bills in ODOE’s 2023 legislative report.

ODOE Launches Heat Pump Incentive Programs 

This year, ODOE launched two incentive programs to help deploy energy efficient heat pumps in Oregon homes. 

The Oregon Rental Home Heat Pump Program provides incentives for owners of rental homes and manufactured dwellings or recreational vehicles in a rented space who install energy efficient heat pumps and related electrical upgrades. Incentives are issued to approved contractors who install the equipment, and the full savings must be passed on to the dwelling owners. Rebate amounts vary based on the project, and higher incentives are available for homes with tenants who have low or moderate incomes.

The Community Heat Pump Deployment Program allocates grant dollars to eligible entities that then, as regional program administrators, provide financial assistance for the purchase and installation of heat pumps and related upgrades within their region or Tribe. Eligible entities include federally recognized Tribes, local governments, housing authorities, electric utilities, nonprofits, and others. In 2023, ODOE awarded grants for six of the 11 regions and for one Tribe. As we head into 2024, ODOE is actively recruiting additional regional administrators, with applications due by January 12.

Oregon Prepares for Millions in Federal Funding

The 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act authorized billions of federal dollars for infrastructure spending and energy and climate programs. From strengthening the resilience of the electric grid to offering rebates for home energy improvements, Oregon's share of this funding can make a big difference for Oregonians across the state.

Significant federal programs like these take time to roll out, but the Oregon Department of Energy and our partners have been working hard behind the scenes to ensure we are well positioned to receive and distribute Oregon’s share of these federal dollars. We’ve been engaging with the public, Oregon Tribes, and various stakeholders and partners on program development and design, putting together application materials to the U.S. Department of Energy to secure Oregon’s funding, and hiring new ODOE team members to help administer the new programs coming our way.

In 2024, we look forward to rolling out home energy rebate programs, likely in the summer. The programs will help Oregonians make their homes more energy efficient by installing appliances and performing upgrades that will also help residents save money. We're also part of the Pacific NW Hydrogen Association, which has been selected for award negotiations with the U.S. Department of Energy for up to $1 billion to develop a regional clean hydrogen hub in Washington, Oregon, and Montana.

Follow the latest federal funding updates on our website, and sign up to receive email updates.

In the spring, ODOE Director Janine Benner was pleased to serve as a presenter and judge for the 2023 Oregon Coast Renewable Energy Challenge in Newport. Students from elementary and middle schools along the coast created their own renewable energy devices to compete for best design. The challenge is designed to educate students about renewable energy options that could be built in and provide energy for their own coastal communities (and beyond).

Oregon Climate Action Roadmap to 2030 

After several years of work, the Oregon Global Warming Commission — now named the Oregon Climate Action Commission — published a new Oregon Climate Action Roadmap to 2030, which includes extensive recommendations to inform state climate action. The roadmap included six overarching recommendations for meeting Oregon's greenhouse gas emission reduction goals, including supporting implementation of existing climate programs and regulations, advancing a set of additional climate actions Oregon can take, and proposing updated greenhouse gas reduction goals consistent with the best available science, among other recommendations.

The roadmap work was supported by modeling and analysis done in the commission's Transformational Integrated Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction Project, which developed an Oregon-specific model to forecast potential emission reductions from existing and new mitigation actions. 

This important work inspired the Oregon Legislature to modernize and rename the commission beginning in 2024. Stay in the loop on the commission's work on its website and sign up for email updates.

ODOE Program Supports Renewable Energy and Energy Resilience Projects

In June, we selected 39 recipients to receive a total of $12 million in Community Renewable Energy Grant Program funds. The program supports planning and construction of renewable energy or energy resilience projects for Tribes, public bodies, and consumer-owned utilities.

ODOE received 52 applications requesting over $19 million to support projects for this second round of grant funding. Awards were chosen on a competitive basis with the help of a grant application evaluation committee, which included community-based organizations, renewable energy advocates, industry leaders, and technical experts from across the state. Committee members considered project feasibility and strength, equity considerations, cost savings, economic development, and other features to select the 39 awarded projects.

ODOE awarded a first round of $12 million in grants in 2022. In 2023, the Oregon Legislature allocated an additional $20 million to support the program. 

Oregon Experts Weigh in on Hanford Contamination

In late June, the U.S. Department of Energy reported that radioactive contamination beneath a building at the Hanford Nuclear Site is worse than originally thought. For more than 40 years, ODOE's Nuclear Safety and Emergency Preparedness Division has been monitoring the Hanford site cleanup and ensuring decisions are protective of the Columbia River. Following the USDOE's announcement, ODOE experts weighed in on the situation on ODOE's blog.

The Hanford 324 Building is located on the south end of Hanford – in what’s known as the 300 Area – just 1,000 feet from the Columbia River. The U.S. Department of Energy has known about one spill under the building for over a decade, and has been working on a plan for cleanup of the area while also making progress in other areas of Hanford since production turned to cleanup at the site in the 1980s.

The agency knew the contamination in the soil was serious, but sampling this spring found unexpected contamination deeper in the soil and outside the previously known spill area.

Oregon Department of Energy Assistant Director for Nuclear Safety and Emergency Preparedness Maxwell Woods and Hanford Hydrogeologist Tom Sicilia shared that based on data from monitoring wells, the spill had not migrated to the groundwater – which thankfully means the risk to the Columbia is minimal. Read more on ODOE's blog.

The Oregon Department of Energy's popular Oregon Solar + Storage Rebate Program will continue providing rebates for solar and solar with paired energy storage systems after an additional $10 million investment by the Oregon Legislature. 

ODOE's Energy Facility Siting Team Closes Another Busy Year

In 2023, ODOE's Energy Facility Siting Team supported 10 Energy Facility Siting Council meetings, and provided analysis and guidance for 19 requests for newly proposed projects or amendments to previously approved energy facilities. The team conducted 30 annual operation and construction inspections, and completed two administrative rulemaking efforts – including the first of three rulemakings to better align and clarify application requirements and standards, as well as updating the radioactive waste disposal rules. The team also initiated rulemaking projects related to contested cases and standby generators; work that will continue into 2024.

Utility-scale renewable solar facilities continue to be the bulk of the proposed new energy facilities. At year's end, there were 212 megawatts of solar projects in operation, 200 megawatts in construction, 1,117 megawatts approved but not yet constructed, and 4,571 megawatts under review – for a total of 6.1 gigawatts!

To help Oregonians better understand the energy facility siting process, ODOE published a blog post this year outlining the process, providing background materials, and highlighting how Oregonians can get involved. We also featured what happens during the energy facility decommissioning process when a facility has reached the end of its life. Learn more about ODOE's facility siting process on our website.

Oregon Energy Spotlights

One way we use the Oregon Department of Energy's blog is to feature stories and share highlights around energy in Oregon. Among the many stories we posted this year, we shared information on equity for renters, energy in agriculture, energy storage, and more. Check out some of the stories linked below, and let us know if you have energy questions we could help answer on our blog this year!

The Wheels on the Electric Bus Go Round and Round

This year, ODOE celebrated the first public electric school bus that was supported, in part, by Public Purpose Charge program dollars. The Public Purpose Charge schools program, administered by the Oregon Department of Energy, is funded through the state’s two largest electric utilities: Portland General Electric and Pacific Power. The funds support energy and fleet audits, energy efficiency improvements, and, as of 2020, zero emission vehicles and chargers for Oregon schools.

In March, we celebrated the first electric bus supported by Public Purpose Charge dollars, which also happened to be the first electric school bus in operation east of the Cascades. The Bend-LaPine Schools bus is a LionC model that can fit up to 71 passengers with a 125-mile battery range.

As kids headed back to school in the fall, many students in the Beaverton School District got to enjoy clean, quiet rides thanks to 13 electric school buses in the district's fleet. The Public Purpose Charge program provided about $400,000 in financial support for two of the buses in the district's fleet. 

Several other school districts across the state have also gone electric or are in the process of ordering new electric buses. In 2022, the Oregon Department of Energy published an electric and alternative fuel school bus cost tool and guidebook to help districts interested in adding zero emission buses to their fleets.

In August, we were pleased to announce that the Oregon Legislature extended the deadline for ODOE's Energy Efficient Wildfire Rebuilding Incentive. The program, which encourages energy efficient rebuilding of structures lost in the 2020 wildfires, was originally authorized to accept applications through April 2023, but many wildfire survivors are still recovering and trying to rebuild their homes and businesses. ODOE will now be able to accept applications through June 1, 2025.

Oregon Solar Dashboard Shows Decades of Solar Growth

Over the past few decades, solar-generated electricity in Oregon has blossomed from a few scattered rooftop projects in the 1980s to dozens of large utility-scale solar facilities today. The Oregon Department of Energy updated its interactive Solar Dashboard in October to show Oregon’s solar growth from 1986 to 2022.

The dashboard also shows the dramatic decrease in the cost of residential solar systems – from an average $16.53 per watt in 1999 to just $3.66 in 2021. It also illustrates annual generation in each Oregon county, the 10 largest projects in the state, utility-specific solar data, and much more.

ODOE first published the solar dashboard in 2019 after working with regional utility, solar industry, and community partners to quantify trends in the energy sector and make data available to stakeholders in user-friendly formats. Check it out!

ODOE Energy Assistance Program Supports Rural Small Businesses and Agricultural Producers

The Oregon Rural & Agricultural Energy Assistance Program (formerly Oregon Rural & Agricultural Energy Audit Program) is ready to kick off its third year of helping rural Oregon small businesses and agricultural producers meet their energy goals. Heading into the new year, the program’s name has been updated to better reflect the broad range of support offered — and ODOE's program team invites interested folks to learn more through a new informational video (and to help us spread the word!).

The program offers support through a $100,000 grant awarded by the USDA Renewable Energy Development Assistance program. The grant helps fund energy assessments for agricultural producers and rural small businesses and can cover up to 75 percent of the total cost of the energy assessment. Energy Trust of Oregon also has incentives available to help cover the remaining cost for those served by one of the utilities Energy Trust represents.

Learn more on ODOE's website and check out our program video!

Connecting with Oregonians

ODOE is proud to offer energy incentive programs, provide policy and project expertise, serve as a venue for problem-solving Oregon's energy issues, and more. We want to make sure Oregonians know about the services we offer, so one of the best ways to spread the word is to meet communities where they are. ODOE was thrilled to welcome new members to the team this year that will help us better reach and serve Oregon’s diverse communities, as well as help them navigate and take advantage of clean energy and energy efficiency opportunities.

In May, ODOE welcomed a new Community Navigator, Sarah Moehrke, to the team. Her role is to help communities who may not have the built-in staff or budget get connected to programs and funding available to them. Sarah shared some lessons she learned from visiting Eastern Oregon communities over the summer, and will regularly share more about her community visits on ODOE's blog.

ODOE was also pleased to welcome a new Resource Assistance for Rural Environments (RARE) Member to the agency. Alice Weston will work with ODOE over the next year, serving as a liaison between our agency and central and south-central Oregon communities. Her work will help us better connect those communities with ODOE programs and opportunities.

This fall, Lauren Rosenstein also joined the team as our new Community Equity and Inclusion Analyst. Lauren's important work will help ensure ODOE services and programs are flowing equitably to Oregon's diverse communities. 

The Energy team once again showed up to help our fellow Oregonians through the statewide Charitable Fund Drive this fall. Our small agency set a goal to raise at least $12,000, and we ended up raising over $13,000 for nonprofit organizations across the state.

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