Oregon
Overview
Oregon has long been a clean energy leader, thanks to generations of abundant hydropower. Today, the state is charting an ambitious path toward a 100% clean grid – creating an opportunity to accelerate the deployment of the clean energy technologies needed to get there.
Oregon's Energy Portfolio
Oregon’s electricity has historically come from one dominant source: hydropower, which still supplies 45% of the state's power today. Natural gas is a close second (34%), while wind (14%), solar (5%), and other resources (2%) make up the rest.
As demand for electricity grows rapidly across the state, Oregon is building out new wind, solar, and storage resources.
A Region of Untapped Potential
Much of Oregon's electricity demand comes from the west of the Cascades. But eastern and central Oregon hold much of the state's clean energy potential, while batteries on the West side help smooth out demand. Responsibly developing solar, wind, and battery resources – and the transmission to deliver that power – will be critical to meeting the state's rising electricity demand and ensuring reliability.
Oregon’s Policy Landscape
Oregon has set some of the most ambitious clean energy goals in the country, but it's also often cited as one of the slowest states to actually permit and build new clean energy. At the center of those goals is Coal to Clean (SB 1547) and the state’s Clean Electricity Targets (HB 2021), which put Oregon on a legally binding path to a carbon-free grid.
2016
Oregon passed Coal to Clean (SB 1547), requiring utilities to eliminate coal from their Oregon electricity supply by 2030.
2021
With advocacy from RNW, Oregon passed HB 2021, setting the state on a legally binding path to a carbon-free electricity grid.
2030
Oregon’s largest investor-owned utilities must phase out coal and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 80%.
2035
Oregon’s largest investor-owned utilities must reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 90%.
2040
Oregon’s largest investor-owned utilities must reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 100%.
Transmission Landscape
Even well-sited projects can stall without the infrastructure to connect them to the grid. The Bonneville Power Administration owns and operates roughly 75% of the region's existing transmission infrastructure and faces a significant backlog of projects waiting to interconnect. Expanding transmission capacity across the state while leveraging strategic grid storage will be critical to ensuring new clean generation can be delivered to load centers throughout the state. Regionally, Western states will need an estimated $60 billion in new transmission investment by 2035 to avoid major reliability problems.
Where RNW Comes In
RNW works across Oregon to close the gap between clean energy ambition and reality: implementing and defending HB 2021, streamlining siting and permitting processes, supporting transmission buildout, and helping ensure the state's clean energy transition is affordable and reliable for everyone. We work closely with our members who have deep expertise in developing projects to help shape our advocacy.