ODOE Oregon Department of Energy : Oregon Department of Energy Year in Review

I'm writing this letter in December - typically the season for slowing down and taking stock. I have to admit, however, that while this letter is all about looking back at what the Oregon Department of Energy accomplished in 2018, we haven't quite figured out the slowing down part. And the next year looks to be even more exciting for the ODOE team.

In the last few weeks of 2018, we pressed ahead on the latest deliverables for Governor Brown's Built Environment Executive Order. Along with our state agency partners, we developed a strategy for reducing plug-load in state buildings, released a 10-year plan for achieving energy efficiency in low-income housing, and created a tool for evaluating life-cycle costs and savings of energy upgrades in state buildings. We were also excited to see conversations about spill at Columbia River dams reach a critical milestone that will help preserve the important carbon-free flexibility of the region's hydropower system while protecting fish.

The start of 2018 was just as busy: I became the agency's first Senate-confirmed director in February, the same month the Energy Facility Siting Council authorized Oregon's first large-scale solar energy facility. While navigating the short but active legislative session, we also promoted Renewable Energy Development grants and conducted two emergency preparedness exercises. And as winter turned to spring, we held a resiliency workshop for consumer-owned utilities, developed a biennial budget that reduced the energy supplier assessment, and released new tools for tracking electricity resources and encouraging electric vehicle adoption.

The rest of the year was similarly fast-paced, with plenty of other firsts, like the first facility certified to earn thermal renewable energy certificates, the state's first Renewable Natural Gas Inventory, and a brand new Biennial Energy Report. This report, published in November, is chock-full of energy data and information, plus in-depth coverage of major issues affecting our state - we hope you use it as a resource during the upcoming legislative session and in other parts of your work.

December is also about looking ahead, and as proud as I am of my team and our agency for the contributions we've made to Oregon this past year, I am extremely excited about what the future holds. At the end of November, Governor Brown released her 2019-21 recommended budget, which includes a promising proposal for a new state agency: the Oregon Climate Authority. We're excited about what this means for addressing climate change at the state level, and are looking forward to robust discussions about how the team at ODOE can support Oregon's next steps toward meeting our climate and clean energy strategies.

Thanks for being part of our work this past year. We look forward to continuing to collaborate with you in 2019. We'll keep you informed along the way, and welcome your input, questions, and suggestions all year long.

Best wishes,
Janine Benner
Director, Oregon Department of Energy