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Energy Impacts
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Article Content  |
| Overview |
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The Recovery Act not only helped jumpstart our economy and created or saved thousands of jobs in Oregon, it also put a down payment on addressing the needs of our country so we can thrive in the future. In an effort to help create a new energy infrastructure for the nation, Oregon used the federal recovery dollars to make lasting impacts on our economy and our environment. Oregon received about $57 million for energy projects. Some examples of funding opportunities related to energy include:
- Oregon received $42 million for energy efficiency and renewable energy projects on public facilities across the state.
- There was over $4 billion available nationally for competitive smart grid proposals which lay the foundation for lasting impacts on our energy infrastructure.
- Various competitive grants for electric vehicle opportunities and renewable energy research.
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| Projects |
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Appliance Rebate Program - The Oregon Department of Energy (ODOE) entered into an Intergovernmental Agency Agreement with the Oregon Department of Housing and Community Services (OHCS) to implement an appliance rebate in tandem with the Low Income Heating Exchange Program, which is an existing program with OHCS.
EECBG - The goal of Oregon’s Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) strategy has been to improve coordination of energy-related policies and programs across jurisdictional levels of governance and to maximize the effectiveness of local and community level projects and programs. The sub-grants help governments develop new and innovative approaches to increase energy efficiency, increase renewable energy use, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This award also provided for technical consultant support to enable entities to develop programs that promote energy efficiency and the use of renewable technologies. A portion of Oregon’s EECBG funds were also used for further development of solar highway projects in the state.
Electricity Regulators Assistance - Through its regulatory oversight of the investment decisions of Oregon’s investor-owned utilities, the Oregon Public Utility Commission (OPUC) has been directly involved in implementing the electricity-related initiatives of the ARRA. To ensure that the increased workload was met, the OPUC used the award funds to hire the equivalent of three new limited-duration Utility Analysts staff to manage dockets that further develop the regulatory framework in the following ARRA topic areas: (1) Electric vehicles; (2) Energy efficiency; (3) Smart grid; (4) Renewable energy; and (5) Energy storage.
Energy Assurance - A cooperative effort among state agencies and energy providers is improving the resiliency of critical energy infrastructure to mitigate impacts and ensure that Oregon is prepared to respond to recover from catastrophic events to protect public health and safety, the environment, and the region's economy. Minimizing direct earthquake damage to the Portland hotspot will reduce indirect losses to Oregon and untold ripple effects with respect to fuel supply and recovery. Improved understanding of the Portland hotspot infrastructure is needed to allow state agencies to update the Oregon Energy Emergency Response Plan and to provide training to ensure program readiness.
State Energy Program - This award has been used to fund around 200 energy efficiency and renewable energy projects in public buildings. These projects reduced energy use and costs, and provided opportunities to leverage funds for innovative projects, programs, and initiatives that addressed state energy priorities and had high potential for achieving the Recovery Act goals. A focus on public buildings allowed the state to effectively use its existing expertise and programs to efficiently expend State Energy Program funds, and resulted in a reduction in energy costs that helps schools, counties, and cities save on operating expenses.
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| Project Categories |
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To learn more about projects near you, take a look at our Tracking the Dollars map to select specific projects or select one of the categories below to learn more about the types of projects funded. Projects can be divided specifically by the following categories:
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