Getting Grounded: Petroleum's long history
Petroleum has been a consistent part of our lives as a building material, in manufacturing, or a fuel source dating back centuries.
Most Oregonians are familiar with petroleum as a fuel to power vehicles, but another form of petroleum, natural gas, is used as a significant source of Oregon’s electricity use at 20 percent in 2023.
On this episode of Getting Grounded, our energy fundamentals series of mini episodes, we are joined by Michael Freels, ODOE senior policy analyst. He discusses the history of petroleum, the variety of uses, challenges, and how it plays into our overall energy source planning.
Use of petroleum fuels comes with challenges, including harmful carbon emissions as well as economic and transportation challenges as Oregon imports all our petroleum. How to ensure fuel is distributed across the state, especially in times of emergency, is something ODOE plans for in our Energy Security and Oregon Fuel Action plans.
Making the switch to alternative fuels, such as electricity for transportation, can help reduce carbon emissions and help Oregon meet our energy objectives.
Questions or topic suggestions? Write us at askenergy@oregon.gov
Resources:
Oregon Energy Security Plan
Oregon Fuel Action Plan