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Mixed Results from Oregon's 2024 Legislative Session
Here’s a quick rundown of what happened — and what didn’t happen — to make further progress on climate during Oregon's 2024 legislative session.
Clean buildings

Heating and powering our homes and businesses generates a lot of our climate-changing pollution; our built environment is a major contributor to global warming. If our homes and buildings were carbon-free and 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. 

For example, in both Oregon and Washington State, climate-worsening pollution from buildings are growing at a faster rate than any other source, with this increase largely attributable to the use of fossil gas in homes and buildings. Burning fossil gas in homes and buildings is not only a significant contributor to climate change, but also poses significant health risks for our communities, children, and other vulnerable populations.

Indoor air quality issues are particularly concentrated for low-income residents in smaller units with poor ventilation. Communities of color are already disproportionately impacted by outdoor air pollution, and should not continue to be disproportionately harmed by poor indoor air quality as well. Gas appliances also worsen our outdoor air quality.  For example, California’s residential appliances releasing more than two times as many NOx emissions as all of their gas power plants combined, and commercial gas appliances releasing just as much NOx pollution as all of California’s cars.

States and many cities in the region and around the country are increasingly looking at ensuring all new buildings are electric as a key cost-effective pathway for achieving their local or state greenhouse emissions goals. Electrifying buildings is critical to addressing climate change, but it is also achievable, affordable, safe, and creates a more resilient energy system.

We are working with lawmakers and community partners to move rapidly toward electrifying our buildings for heating, cooling and cooking.  We can also construct homes and buildings that get all their energy from sustainable sources, and even produce as much energy as they use — net zero energy buildings. 

 

Heat pump installation

Washington will build new homes with heat pumps

The Washington State Building Code Council voted today to adopt new statewide residential building codes that will drive the transition to safe and healthy homes that run on low-cost, 100% clean electricity instead of methane gas

group photo with heat pump it up tee shirts and heat pump it up sign

A major effort and momentum for all-electric homes in WA

An incredible showing, representing the fabric and diversity of our climate community, raising the volume for clean and healthy homes

West coast leaders sign climate agreement

Sign us up for renewable power

In this week's ClimateCast: the urgent need for clean energy infrstructure, resiliency and hard choices, West Coast climate leadership and more.

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A massively consequential week for climate action

The US Senate votes to pass the Inflation Reduction Act, climate impacts keep on coming, and communities lead the way on climate policy.

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Hot ways to stay cool: take our buildings all-electric

WA State has an opportunity to ensure the most climate friendly state residential energy codes in the country.

ClimateCast - slashy playground

Are we in a climate emergency? How is that not a dumb question?

After Manchin's latest reversal, real U.S. climate leadership remains a strong possibility. Also, it's hot

Tell Oregon regulators: we want clean and safe buildings in our future

Together we can let the Public Utility Commissioners know that there is NO FUTURE for methane gas in Oregon.

Clean Codes Healthy Homes

Clean energy homes for Washington: council proposes code improvements

Washington's State Building Code Coundil is recommending updates to residential building energy codes this year, accelerating clean, electric new construction

Strategic plan 2022-2026

We've got a new plan.

Climate Solutions' strategic priorities for the next four years.

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What does equitable internet access have to do with climate?

Bridging the digital divide, EVs keep accelerating, fossil fuel dirty deeds, and spreading climate hope.