Oregon State government
Photo credit: benmacaskill
Oregon’s stunning natural beauty and history of clean energy innovation position it as a natural climate leader that can inspire action in the Northwest and beyond. However, in recent years Oregon's progress on climate action has stagnated while a growing list of states and territories have adopted carbon pricing policies, enacted more robust low-carbon fuel standards, and committed to a timeline for transitioning to 100% clean electricity.
Climate Solutions is working in Oregon to:
- Promote 100% clean energy: With support from Climate Solutions and other partners, Multnomah County and the City of Portland made groundbreaking commitments to 100 percent clean and renewable energy. We are helping them develop implementation plans to achieve these goals, and working with other cities and counties in Oregon to develop a groundswell of support for a 100% clean energy future.
- Accelerate clean transportation: The transportation sector is Oregon's largest source of climate pollution, and accelerating the transition to electric vehicles (EVs) is a key way to clean it up. We are working with local governments, transit districts, and utility providers to build more charging stations, promote financial incentives for individual and fleet EV purchases, and encourage transit agencies to buy clean electric buses, rather than continuing to rely on dirty diesel, CNG, or other fossil fuels.
- Advocate for energy-efficient buildings: Heating and powering our homes and businesses generates a substantial amount of our climate-changing pollution. We are working with partners to help Oregon move toward constructing homes and buildings that produce as much energy as they use - net zero energy buildings. If all new homes and buildings were energy efficient, we would significantly reduce our climate pollution, drastically cut energy costs for owners and renters, and improve air quality where we live and work.
- Stop new investments in coal, oil, and fracked gas: The fossil fuel industry wants to keep us hooked on dangerous energy sources and use our state to expand their profits. With our urging, Oregon has already taken several momentous steps by stopping Portland General Electric from building a new fracked gas plant and ending Oregon's dependence on coal-fired power. We will continue sending a clear message that expanding fossil fuel infrastructure is not welcome in Oregon.
Read on for the latest updates on Climate Solutions' work in Oregon:
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by Meredith Connolly on January 24, 2020Climate and clean energy advocates are determined to make 2020 a year of climate progress in Oregon. Here's how. Read more
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by Jonathan Gates on January 6, 2020A growing list of states and territories have adopted carbon pricing policies, enacted more robust low-carbon fuel standards, and committed to a timeline for transitioning to 100% clean electricity, but Oregon is not among them. Read more
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by Devon Downeysmith on December 20, 2019What it's like to read climate news every day: some days, it’s inspiring. Other days, it weighs heavy on the heart. Read more
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by Jonathan Gates on December 4, 2019We need one more big push to make clear to AAA of Oregon and other corporate interests that blocking climate action is bad for business. Read more -
by Jonathan Gates on November 17, 2019Oregon law gives the Governor broad authority to set goals to reduce climate pollution and protect the state from the impacts of climate change. Read more
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by Jonathan Gates on October 31, 2019Earlier this week, our coalition of partners officially filed critical climate protection ballot measures with the Oregon Secretary of State's office, having collected twice as many signatures as needed to qualify. Read more
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by Jonathan Gates on October 8, 2019Portland, Oregon –– Climate Solutions announced Tuesday that they have joined a broad coalition to file a series of statewide climate action ballot initiatives. Under the umbrella of Oregonians for Clean Air, Initiative Petitions 48, 49, and 50 would: Read more
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by Meredith Connolly on September 12, 2019The end of Oregon’s 2019 legislative session exposed some of the egregious corporate lobbying in Salem that blocks climate action – sometimes in public, but many times behind the scenes in the halls of the State Capitol. One of those companies is the American Automobile Association (AAA) of Oregon. Yes, the same AAA that you call for a lifeline when your car breaks down – but apparently that lifeline doesn’t extend to the climate emergency we’re currently experiencing. Read more
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by Jonathan Gates on August 28, 2019Governor Kate Brown announced today that she supports calling the Oregon State Legislature into a special session, but addressing the climate crisis was notably absent from the agenda. This omission is the latest major failure by Oregon’s elected officials to fulfill their promise to take climate action to protect this place we all call home. Read more
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by Jonathan Gates on August 1, 2019Oregon's legislature just established an ambitious statewide timeline for adopting zero-emission cars, buses, and commercial vehicles. Read more
