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About a third of the energy we consume is used for thermal purposes. Thermal energy is energy we use for heating and cooling buildings, as well as powering certain industrial processes. The majority of this energy comes from fossil fuels, but there is a growing opportunity to utilize this energy more efficiently and generate it using local energy resources such as biomass, geothermal, and solar.

Using biomass to produce energy has been used for hundreds of years to meet humans' energy needs. We are finding new and more efficient ways of creating and using bioenergy. While wood is the most plentiful sources of biomass, many other types of biomass can be used to produce energy and fuel. To learn more, click on the red text below.

Governor Kitzhaber and the Oregon Department of Energy announced on May 30 the results of a study on how buying solar products and services sourced exclusively from Oregon companies could improve the state’s economy. The governor and the Legislature’s Joint Committee on Tax Credits commissioned the study.