The Oregon Department of Energy released the draft Oregon Energy Strategy for public comment Thurs., Aug. 14, 2025.

On this episode, we dive into the draft Oregon Energy Strategy, the five pathways outlined that represent the direction Oregon needs to go to meet the state’s energy goals, and why you should take the time to comment through Sept. 22.

The project was a recipient of a $900,000 construction grant from the first round of the Oregon Department of Energy’s Community Renewable Energy Program, also known as C-REP.

Last fall, ODOE welcomed RARE AmeriCorps member Sara Lark Millies-Lucke to the agency to serve as the Rural Resilience Analyst to provide research and recommendations on how ODOE could better serve and communicate with the state’s consumer-owned utilities and rural communities. We’ve shared several stories from Sara Lark and the Community Navigator team on our blog and want to thank her for her work with ODOE. In her final blog post, Sara Lark reflects on her work and lessons learned from the past year with ODOE.

In this month's newsletter, ODOE prepares to share draft policy recommendations for the Oregon Energy Strategy, launches a new weatherization program supporting consumer-owned utilities, celebrates 50 years of public service, shines a spotlight on storage paired with large energy facilities, and more.

The Oregon Climate Action Commission will meet online 9 a.m. to noon on Aug. 8, 2025. 

The Oregon Department of Energy will release draft policy recommendations for the Oregon Energy Strategy on Aug. 14, 2025. 

Save the Date: Webinar Aug. 14; Public Comment Period Open Aug. 14 through Sept. 22

As the state moves toward a clean energy future, including 100 percent clean electricity by 2040 for the state’s largest utilities, Oregon’s energy landscape will need to evolve to ensure enough clean power is available when it’s needed. One emerging solution is to pair energy storage with clean energy facilities. When the facilities generate more energy than is needed, the extra energy can be stored to later dispatch to the grid when it’s needed.

2025 marks 50 years of Oregon Department of Energy public service. As we continue leading Oregon to a safe, equitable, clean, and sustainable future for the next 50 years (and beyond!), we’re taking time to reflect on what got us here. This month, we look back at the history of the Hanford Nuclear Site and Oregon’s engagement with the cleanup.