May 2026 Newsletter
ODOE to Make $1.1 Million Available for Solar + Storage Rebates
The Oregon Department of Energy’s popular Oregon Solar + Storage Rebate Program will temporarily reopen on June 15, 2026, providing up to $1.1 million in rebates for solar and energy storage systems.
The program, which provides rebates to homeowners and to organizations that serve Oregonians with low incomes, first launched in January 2020 but has been out of funding since mid-2024. Following administrative savings and canceled or incomplete rebate projects from prior rounds, the agency now has $1.1 million left in program funding to reserve and issue rebates for new projects. Half of the funding will be reserved for homeowners with low to moderate incomes and low-income service providers – such as nonprofits, municipalities, or other organizations serving low-income Oregonians.
Homeowners are eligible for rebates up to $5,000 for solar and $2,500 for energy storage. Low-income service providers are eligible for up to $30,000 for solar plus $15,000 for storage. Following SB 827 (2025) and recent administrative rulemaking, ODOE will also accept applications for storage-only installations being added to existing solar. Rebates are issued to ODOE-approved contractors, who pass the full amount of the rebate on as up-front savings to their customers.
ODOE is now accepting registrations from contractors who would like to participate in the program (previously registered contractors do not need to re-enroll). Oregonians interested in installing solar or storage with ODOE’s rebate can find approved contractors on the agency’s website in preparation of the program’s re-launch on June 15. ODOE expects the limited program dollars will be quickly reserved.
ODOE Now Accepting Applications for Building Performance Standard Early Compliance Action and Planning Incentive
The Oregon Department of Energy is now accepting applications for a second round of Early Compliance Action and Planning Program incentives to help Oregon building owners meet requirements for the state’s Building Performance Standard.
In 2023, the Oregon Legislature passed House Bill 3409, establishing a Building Performance Standard for commercial buildings. The bill requires covered commercial buildings to enhance energy management practices and implement efficiency measures to meet energy use targets; the earliest compliance date is 2028. The bill directed ODOE to establish an early compliance incentive program to encourage building owners to consider implementing energy efficiency efforts ahead of compliance dates.
ODOE has approximately $1.2 million for this round of incentives to help building owners offset costs associated with compliance, such as energy benchmarking and reporting or performing an energy audit. Incentives will be awarded on a competitive basis and structured to reflect the various compliance requirements and actions.
Oregon’s Building Performance Standard sorts eligible buildings into Tier 1 and Tier 2 buildings. The Early Compliance Action and Planning Program’s second round of funding will offer approximately $950,000 in total incentives for Tier 1 buildings and $250,000 in total incentives for Tier 2 buildings. The maximum incentive per building is $10,000-$50,000, depending on building type and size.
Applications are due from eligible building owners by 5 p.m. July 10, 2026. ODOE will hold two open office hours webinars to answer questions on June 3 and June 24 at 1 p.m. More information, including an Opportunity Announcement, Tier 1 and Tier 2 descriptions, webinar log-in information, and application materials are available on ODOE’s website.
ODOE Announces $11.5 Million in Grid Resilience Grants to Oregon Electric Utilities
The Oregon Department of Energy has selected nine Oregon electric utilities to receive $11.5 million in Grid Resilience Grants. The program supports utility resilience projects, which can include weatherization technologies and equipment, fire-resistant technologies and fire-prevention systems, utility pole management, undergrounding of electrical equipment, and more.
Strengthening the resilience of the electric grid can prevent and reduce disruptive events, like power outages due to extreme weather. ODOE’s program is designed to fund projects that will have the greatest community benefits while addressing the most pressing grid resilience needs.
This is the second round of grant funding through this program, which is available thanks to the federal 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
ODOE received 14 applications requesting over $21 million in funds – nearly double the $11.5 million offered in the grant round. The nine selected utilities have agreed to proceed with the full application, which will be reviewed and confirmed by the U.S. Department of Energy before receiving an official grant award. Learn more about the selected projects on ODOE's blog.
Coming Soon: Draft Report on Reducing Barriers to Clean Energy Deployment
The Oregon Department of Energy, in coordination with the Public Utility Commission and the Department of Land Conservation and Development, will release a draft of the forthcoming Report on Reducing Barriers to Clean Energy Deployment for public comment on June 1 with comments due by July 2, 2026. The report was directed by Executive Order 25-29 and furthers implementation of the Oregon Energy Strategy, including Electricity Action 5’s suggested report on barriers to permitted energy projects. The report will examine why some projects have not moved forward despite receiving siting approval from the Energy Facility Siting Council or a county and will outline recommended solutions for similar projects.
ODOE will bring the report’s draft recommendations to the Energy Facility Siting Council for discussion at the Council’s June 26, 2026 meeting. ODOE will also hold an online listening session to receive oral comments on June 29, 2026 beginning at 4:30 p.m. Information on how to attend will be posted to the report’s project webpage. Interested Oregonians can listen to the live or recorded discussion at the EFSC meeting and join the listening session on June 29, 2026 to share oral comments. We will also be hosting an office hour to discuss environmental justice and equity perspectives throughout the report with a particular focus on the Equity and Justice Framework on June 17 from 9 - 10:30 a.m. More details will be posted on the website soon.
Feedback on the draft report will inform the final version of the report, which will be submitted to Governor Kotek by September 1, 2026.
Later in June, ODOE will also release a draft of a second report required by Executive Order 25-29 on opportunities to streamline clean energy siting in Oregon. Please stay tuned for more information on how to review and submit comments on that report, which will also be discussed at the June 2026 EFSC meeting and submitted to the Governor by September 1, 2026.
Learn more and access the public comment portal on ODOE’s website.
Grounded Podcast: Putting Soil and Plants to Work
All around us, natural and working lands – from forests, to crops, to wetlands, and parks – are putting in work to benefit Oregonians. Land can both emit carbon and remove carbon from the atmosphere through nature processes like photosynthesis. Removing carbon from the air can reduce greenhouse gas emissions, support the land, and benefit nearby people. Actions that protect natural and working lands and help meet climate goals are called natural climate solutions.
In our latest Grounded podcast episode, host Katelyn Jackson is joined by Elizabeth Ruther and Jason Sauer of ODOE’s Natural Climate Solutions team to discuss natural and working lands, natural climate solutions, and two recent work products, the Land-Based Net Carbon Inventory and a complementary study on workforce development and training needs for natural climate solutions.
Give it a listen on our blog or your favorite podcast app.
Reports from Around the Agency
Join our team! ODOE is currently recruiting for an Accounting Manager (hurry, closes May 31!) and a Budget Analyst. Learn more and please share with your networks.
Earlier this year, ODOE secured support from the National Governor’s Association Center for Best Practices to help Oregon increase the pace and scale of electricity generation and transmission deployment. These are areas that the Oregon Energy Strategy identified as critical to meeting our state’s energy needs, and that Executive Order 25-29 directs agencies to advance. On May 20 and 21, ODOE staff Edith Bayer, Sarah Esterson, Ruchi Sadhir, and Jason Sierman supported a retreat on transmission in Pendleton with the National Governor’s Association and Governor Kotek’s office. The retreat involved learning about issues and potential solutions within the “4 Ps” of transmission expansion (Planning, Participation, Permitting, and Paying) with a wide range of participants, including state agencies, investor-owned utilities, consumer-owned utilities, Tribes, local governments, and non-profit organizations.
Staff from across the agency once again gathered in ODOE's Agency Operations Center this month for an annual Hanford nuclear emergency exercise. Each year, ODOE practices how we would respond in the event of an emergency at the Hanford Nuclear Site in Washington, just 35 miles from Oregon's border. The Hanford exercise follows two other exercises conducted this winter and spring for the Columbia Generating Station nuclear power plant, near Hanford.
At its May 15 meeting, the Energy Facility Siting Council formally initiated an administrative rulemaking effort to update the state's radioactive material transport fee, which hasn't been updated since the early 1980s. More information and future updates on the rulemaking process will be available on ODOE's website.
Speaking of radioactive materials transport, ODOE partnered with Oregon State University this month to hold an annual HAZ-MAT training for first responders who would respond in the event of a radioactive material transportation incident in the state. Learn more about transport on ODOE's website.
ODOE was pleased to sponsor the 2026 Oregon Clean Grid Summit on May 18 in Salem. The Summit brought together organizations and people who are interested in Oregon’s electrical grid. ODOE Senior Policy Analyst Jason Sierman spoke on a panel called “From Plans to Power: Building Momentum Toward a Reliable, Affordable Grid” and shared insights from the Oregon Energy Strategy and other recent actions in Oregon and the region.
The Oregon Department of Energy has joined the Cascadia Sustainable Aviation Accelerator, a newly launched coalition in the Pacific Northwest focused on accelerating sustainable aviation fuel production, deployment, and adoption. ODOE will bring Oregon’s perspective to the accelerator and develop opportunities to expand consistent access to low-carbon fuels for the state – a great connection to the Oregon Energy Strategy's low-carbon fuels pathway.
On May 21, ODOE Director Janine Benner presented during a panel on the current landscape of marine energy policy at the Pacific Ocean Energy Trust's annual Ocean Renewable Energy Conference. ODOE was proud to sponsor the event, which also included a Marine Energy Collegiate Competition alongside the conference.
ODOE Director Benner and Senior Policy Analyst Edith Bayer connected with fellow state energy offices this month at the Western Interstate Energy Board's Joint CREPC-WIRAB spring meeting in San Diego. Janine serves as Vice Chair of the Western Interstate Energy Board, which is a nonpartisan interstate compact serving Western states, fostering collaboration to address common energy challenges and supporting states as they navigate a rapidly evolving energy landscape. At the conference, Janine spoke on a panel about how the Oregon Energy Strategy advances affordability.
ODOE Codes and Standards Manager Blake Shelide presented on the Oregon Building Performance Standard at the Association of Professional Energy Managers spring forum.
Did you know ODOE's Energy Facility Siting Team is currently reviewing more than a dozen proposed or amended energy facilities? From wind to solar facilities – to combined wind, solar, and storage facilities – you can learn more about the state's process and how to get involved on our website. You can also sign up to receive a monthly facility siting update showing the latest and greatest.
LOOKING AHEAD
Oregon Hanford Cleanup Board | June 1, 2026 | The Dalles and Via Webinar
BPS Incentive Office Hours | June 3 and 24, 2026 | Via Webinar
Oregon Climate Action Commission | June 12, 2026 | Via Webinar
Energy Facility Siting Council | June 26, 2026 | Salem and Via Webinar
EO 25-29 Barriers Report Listening Session | June 29, 2026 | Via Webinar
EO 25-29 Barriers Report EJ + Equity Perspectives Office Hour | June 17, 2026 | Via Webinar
Current Rulemakings (click to see details)
Other Stakeholder Groups (click to see details)
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