Letter from Governor Brown

In my first State of the State address after being sworn in as Governor in 2015, I remarked that Oregon’s way of life was being threatened by climate change. Six years later, the need to address the climate crisis is even more urgent. Our state has been ravaged in recent years by damaging floods, record ice storms, extreme heat waves, and devastating wildfires. Instead of these events feeling unexpected or unusual, they now feel like the new normal.

What is different? How we are responding. We’ve adopted landmark clean fuels legislation to improve air quality and reduce Oregon’s carbon footprint. I issued executive orders to bolster electric vehicle adoption and improve energy efficiency in our built environment, and to direct state agencies to take actions to reduce and regulate harmful greenhouse gas emissions. In 2021, Oregon passed legislation that requires our largest electric utilities to provide 100 percent clean electricity to their customers by 2040. In 2022, Oregon’s Climate Protection Program set a declining limit on greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuels used throughout Oregon – which will reduce emissions over time while containing costs and promoting equity among Oregon’s diverse communities.

We’re already seeing results. Today, Oregon has more than 50,000 electric vehicles on our roads and our electricity mix is getting cleaner. The Oregon Global Warming Commission announced that thanks to Oregon’s bold new policies, our 2035 greenhouse gas reduction goal is now within reach.

While we’re on a better path, there is still much work to be done. As you’ll see in the pages of this Oregon Department of Energy report, the transportation and energy sectors remain the largest contributors to the state’s greenhouse gas emissions – but they are also evolving. New opportunities and technologies are emerging that could boost renewable electricity running through our transmission lines and reshape how Oregonians travel and move goods across the state.

I hope my successor in the Governor’s office, my colleagues in the State Legislature, and my fellow Oregonians use this report – and the ODOE professionals who developed it – to better understand Oregon’s current energy profile, outlook, and potential future. I encourage you to dive into the resource and technology reviews, energy 101s, and policy briefs on topics like energy storage, backup power, transportation fuels, energy efficiency, and more. Assess opportunities for Oregon’s agricultural sector and review what drives energy costs for consumers.

Each of us can make a difference in meeting Oregon’s climate goals. I encourage you to use the information in this report to make smart energy decisions for your home or business and for our state. Let’s continue to move forward and forge a better path for the next generation of Oregonians. There is no time to waste.

Letter from ODOE’s Director

Two years ago, when the Oregon Department of Energy last published this report, we featured a new energy history timeline to illustrate how historical events have shaped Oregon’s energy landscape – and how Oregon’s energy landscape has shaped history. As a former history major, it was my favorite addition to the report. In introducing the timeline in 2020, we asked, “What will be added by the time we publish the 2022 Biennial Energy Report?”

As it turns out, a lot. The last two years have brought significant changes to energy in Oregon. The state’s only coal-fired power plant was demolished. We celebrated reaching more than 50,000 electric vehicles on Oregon’s roads – a 50-fold increase in just over a decade. ODOE launched new financial incentive programs for community renewable energy projects and energy efficient wildfire recovery. Portland General Electric’s Wheatridge facilities – a first-of-its-kind set of energy facilities combining solar, wind, and battery storage – began operating in Morrow and Umatilla counties. Boardman-to-Hemingway, a 300-mile, 500-kilovolt transmission line, was approved by the Energy Facility Siting Council. NW Natural began pursuing contracts with renewable natural gas producers to add to the company’s supply. The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality’s Climate Protection Program launched, which sets a declining limit/cap on greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuels used throughout the state. The Oregon Legislature passed House Bill 2021, a landmark bill that not only set one of the fastest timelines for emissions-free electricity in the country (100 percent clean by 2040 for most of the state's electricity), but also centers communities of color and rural, coastal, and low-income communities in the transition to clean energy.

There is no doubt that we are making history and moving toward a clean energy future. In July, the Oregon Global Warming Commission shared a new analysis that shows the state’s greenhouse gas reduction goal is within reach, thanks to the state’s bold energy and climate change policy advances. If Oregon successfully implements our policies, like HB 2021 and the Climate Protection Program, we could reach our goal of reducing emissions to at least 45 percent below 1990 levels by 2035.

It's amazing news, but getting there won’t be easy. As Oregon makes this progress, it is essential that the clean energy transition moves forward in an equitable and affordable way – a way that doesn’t leave Oregonians behind. In developing the 2022 report, an overarching recommendation emerged as we analyzed the numbers, reviewed and researched existing and new technologies, and explored clean energy policies: Oregon would benefit from a strong statewide energy strategy to align policy development, regulations, financial investments, community needs, and technical assistance. A strong strategy, if done right, would optimize pathways and leverage local solutions to meet our clean energy goals, prioritize equity, balance tradeoffs, maximize benefits and minimize harms, and ultimately be used to make informed decisions and take action. The Oregon Department of Energy ready to collaborate and make that energy strategy a reality.

In service of our mission, we provide a venue for problem-solving Oregon’s energy challenges, and we act as a central repository for energy data, information, and analysis (or as Senator Lee Beyer once dubbed us: a Think Tank). We’re proud to serve in this role – and to produce this biennial report to help keep Oregon on the leading edge of energy policies, technologies, and trends.

Within these pages, we hope elected officials, policymakers, advocates, and other Oregonians find useful information that builds on the foundation of our past reports. Once again, we begin with Energy by the Numbers – a section that lays out trends and indicators on where we are today in Oregon’s energy landscape. Next, the energy history timeline provides important context (in a multi-media, interactive way) on how Oregon’s energy systems, actions, and policies have evolved over time. Then our collection of Energy 101s, Resource and Technology Reviews, and Policy Briefs dive into more specific topics – including safety, resilience, energy efficiency, clean energy, and more.

In addition to this 2022 report, the Oregon Department of Energy has been building a digital reference library. In 2021, we published our inaugural Biennial Zero Emission Vehicle Report, which looks at data, trends, and challenges of electric and zero emission vehicle adoption in Oregon. We’ve also published studies identifying the opportunities, challenges, and barriers of emerging energy topics: potential formation of a Regional Transmission Organization in Oregon; integration of floating offshore wind facilities into the grid; and small-scale and community-based renewable energy projects. We’ll also publish a study later this year on the potential benefits and barriers of production and use of renewable hydrogen in the state.

So dive in! We hope you use this information to engage in collaborative discussions and weigh options for addressing the energy challenges we face today – in our homes, farms, and businesses, and the way we travel. Reach out to the Oregon Department of Energy anytime to have a conversation, explore solutions, or request a workshop or presentation on an energy topic for your organization or community.

Together, we will continue forging the path to a safe, equitable, clean, and sustainable energy future.