Improving Oregon’s Homes and Buildings for our Climate and Communities
Oregon has made incredible strides in cleaning up our electric grid and transportation sector through milestone policies in recent years. The buildings sector — Oregon’s second biggest source of climate pollution — requires similar cornerstone policies to set a framework that reduces pollution and energy waste and increases the resilience of our homes and buildings in the face of climate impacts. At the same time, Congress has recently passed historic legislation that will soon inject billions of dollars into climate resilience, clean energy, and infrastructure in Oregon. The combined investments of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) and the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) present a historic opportunity for Oregon to accelerate the transition to a clean energy economy, create family-wage jobs and address environmental injustice. The Legislature needs to act in 2023 to position Oregon to maximize the economic and climate potential of this once-in-a-generation funding infusion. Building upon the strong foundation of recent climate and clean energy policy wins in Oregon, this suite of priorities helps turn the promise of these policies into progress on the ground that meaningfully benefits us all.
[read our 2023 OR Legislative Priorities in PDF form]
Oregonians deserve healthy, affordable, resilient homes and buildings that run on clean energy. Right now, too many of our homes and workplaces put us at risk from the harms of climate change, like extreme heat and wildfire smoke. The way we heat buildings and water with fossil fuels is making things worse, especially for lower-income and frontline communities. A suite of policies emerging from the legislature’s Resilient Efficient Buildings Task Force will help reduce climate and air pollution from Oregon’s homes and buildings while increasing energy efficiency, affordability, and resilience and creating good jobs. Read our Resilient Building Coalition factsheet!
As Oregon accelerates the transition to a carbon-free grid, we need to make sure the state’s clean energy policy is consistent and inclusive of some of the state’s largest energy users. We also want to ensure how we transition to 100% clean energy results in economic benefits for communities across Oregon and increases resilience in the face of growing climate impacts. As the state transitions toward a cleaner and more equitable transportation system, leveraging federal funding to reduce the upfront cost of replacing diesel trucks, delivery vans, and buses with zero-emission vehicles is critical. These goals are reflected in the following bills:
Applies the state’s 100% clean energy targets for data centers and cryptocurrency mining operations whose power is not currently regulated by HB 2021 to ensure the state’s major energy users are transitioning from coal and gas to carbon-free power by 2040.
Read our factsheet!
Creates a Medium- Heavy-Duty Zero-Emission Vehicle Program that provides rebates for zero-emission vehicles like delivery trucks and buses and can attract and distribute anticipated federal funding.
Read our factsheet!
Directs the Oregon Public Utility Commission to consider the climate in its decision-making. The bill also shifts the financial risk of expanding the fossil fuel system from residential utility customers to gas companies and their investors by ending the practice of using residential ratepayer funding to subsidize or incentivize new gas line extensions and new gas appliances after 2026. Read our factsheet!
Defines green electrolytic hydrogen. Directs Oregon Department of Energy to develop statewide strategies to accelerate renewable hydrogen in a regionally-aligned, climate-smart way.
Supports the development and adoption of microgrid systems to increase electric grid and energy resilience. A workgroup has been convened by Representatives Marsh and Owens to finalize details.
Last updated 2/14/2023
Read on for the latest updates on Climate Solutions' work in Oregon:
by Greer Ryan on March 8, 2023
Oregonians deserve healthy, affordable, resilient buildings that run on clean energy.
by Jonathan Lee on January 12, 2023
Homes, offices, and other buildings are a major source of climate and air pollution. Thankfully, the best solutions will save you money on energy…
by Jonathan Lee on December 19, 2022
By 2035, every new car sold in the states of Washington, Oregon, and California will be powered by 100% clean energy.
by Victoria Paykar on December 13, 2022
Did you hear the news? Last week, the City of Portland became the first city in the U.S. to phase out the sale of petroleum diesel by 2030.
by Meredith Connolly on November 14, 2022
As the final results of this November’s midterm election roll in, one thing is clear: climate action was on the ballot in Oregon, and voters made it…
by Meredith Connolly on November 2, 2022
Voting yes on Measure 113 will help us make the necessary progress in Oregon on an equitable transition to a clean energy-powered grid,…
by Jonathan Lee on October 28, 2022
In this week's Climate Cast: Electric school buses across the country, air quality woes, upcoming elections, rising methane pollution, and holding NW…
by Victoria Paykar on October 11, 2022
This December, Oregon’s Environmental Quality Commission will vote on proposed tailpipe emissions standards so that by 2035, 100% of new cars sold…
by Victoria Paykar on September 27, 2022
Did you hear the news? Oregon now has the strongest clean fuel standard in the country.
by Victoria Paykar on September 7, 2022
This summer’s record-hot temperatures, heat waves, and soaring gas prices reminded us to keep pushing on climate acti
by Jonathan Lee on August 26, 2022
The US West leads the way on electric vehicles and clean tech, more details about the landmark federal climate bill, melting roads, and NW Natural…
by Jonathan Lee on July 25, 2022
Throughout this month, Climate Solutions has been sharing real, widely available clean energy solutions through our #FreedomFromFossilFuels campaign…
by Nora Apter and Greer Ryan on July 11, 2022
Fossil "natural" gas is far from being the safe, clean product that gas and fossil fuel companies claim.
by Greer Ryan on July 8, 2022
Together we can let the Public Utility Commissioners know that there is NO FUTURE for methane gas in Oregon.
Please email development@climatesolutions.org or contact Savitha Reddy Pathi, Deputy Director, at 206-854-6630.
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