ODOE Submits Clean Energy Project Reports to Governor Kotek
The Oregon Department of Energy has submitted three major deliverables required under Governor Kotek’s Executive Order 25-29: a report on Siting and Permitting Large-Scale Electricity Infrastructure, a report on Reducing Barriers to Clean Energy Deployment, and a Proposed Framework for Strategic Transmission Siting. Together, these reports and proposed framework address the issue of how to accelerate the pace at which clean energy projects and associated transmission infrastructure are permitted, built, and brought online in Oregon. These efforts will ultimately support access to the energy needed for Oregon homes and businesses to continue to grow and thrive.
As articulated in the Oregon Energy Strategy and amplified in the executive order, demand for electricity is rising far faster than in recent history, driven by new data centers along with electrification, industrial growth, and climate change-driven reliability challenges. At the same time, many state-approved clean energy projects are struggling to move into construction because local and federal permitting processes are stressed, interconnection timelines and costs are increasing, supply chains are constrained, and the transmission system has become a limiting factor for nearly every major project. EO 25-29 asked agencies to diagnose these challenges and propose a coordinated, proactive state response. Alongside the Department of Land Conservation and Development’s report, Accelerating Clean Energy Deployment Through Oregon’s Land Use Planning Framework, the following documents fulfill that directive and recommend concrete steps the state can take today to help us meet this challenge.
The Report on Siting and Permitting Large-Scale Electricity Infrastructure focuses on the Energy Facility Siting Council and the parallel roles counties play when projects fall outside EFSC jurisdiction. EFSC’s consolidated statewide process remains a strong foundation, offering consistency, clear standards, and thoughtful integration of environmental protections and public engagement. However, the scale and urgency of today’s clean energy transition may exceed the capacity of the system as currently structured. In the report, ODOE recommends several updates, including additional staffing and management capacity within our siting division; streamlining certain procedural steps such as completeness review and contested cases; enhancing early coordination with applicants, Tribes, and reviewing agencies; modernizing certain standards; and exploring AI-based tools, where appropriate. The agency can start making progress on some of these recommendations now, will undertake rulemaking to advance others, and will need additional resources or authority from the legislature to pursue the rest.
The Reducing Barriers to Clean Energy Deployment report expands the lens beyond siting and examines the difficulties projects face after receiving a site certificate or county permit. As of 2026, over 3,000 megawatts (3 gigawatts) of approved clean energy projects have yet to begin construction. The report identifies seven major post-permitting barriers that prevent projects from breaking ground: cost pressures, unexpected delays, limited cross-jurisdictional coordination, limited availability of equipment and supplies, insufficient staffing, unmet workforce needs, and limited grid capacity. The report recommends steps within and outside of state jurisdiction to overcome the barriers. The report’s recommendations include providing targeted state incentives for clean energy projects that deliver local benefits; supporting and encouraging transmission expansion; monitoring and defending against disruptive federal policy changes; increasing agency staffing; continuing cross-jurisdictional discussions on interconnection and permitting alignment; and prioritizing support for clean energy workers.
Finally, the proposed Framework for Strategic Transmission Siting, which is not a formal report but rather a proposal from ODOE for discussion, addresses one of the most consequential barriers identified in the report: Oregon does not have sufficient transmission infrastructure to support projected load growth or enable clean energy projects to interconnect to the grid. Lack of transmission capacity is already creating bottlenecks for wind and solar projects throughout the region and is starting to be identified as a limiting factor for economic development opportunities. The framework recommends establishing a dedicated statewide transmission planning and coordination function—either within an existing agency or a new entity—to identify priority transmission projects, coordinate regional engagement, seek and receive federal funding, and potentially serve as a transmission developer of last resort. It further recommends accelerating permitting for priority transmission projects with support from state transmission liaisons, improved coordination with federal agencies, expanded EFSC jurisdiction, and increased staffing capacity.
Each document addresses a different stage of project development, but they collectively outline a roadmap to support EO 25-29’s directive to “get clean energy projects built” and advance key elements of the Oregon Energy Strategy. The Oregon Department of Energy stands ready to act as quickly as we can on these recommendations, working in concert with leadership, other natural resource agencies, Tribes, state and local governments, developers, the public, and the legislature to continue balancing energy needs and impacts for current and future generations.
See all Oregon Energy Strategy implementation progress on our website.