Energy in Oregon

The entity with the authority to adopt codes must submit a Letter of Intent by November 21, 2023 if an application is to be considered in the future. In Oregon, that entity is the Building Codes Division of the Department of Consumer and Business Services. ODOE is coordinating closely with the Building Codes Division to assess the opportunity. We anticipate a secondary announcement for additional competitive funding to be available in the coming months as well.

On December 19, 2022, the U.S. DOE opened the application for competitive funding under the Resilient and Efficient Codes Implementation grant, authorized as part of IIJA. While ODOE was not a primary applicant, we provided letters of commitment for two applications which could benefit Oregonians, through different approaches if awarded. Both applications were submitted in late March to U.S. DOE and both applications were selected for award and are still under negotiation.

One application, led by ASHRAE, will develop and deliver comprehensive energy code training to building officials as part of a partnership between ODOE, Oregon Building Codes Division, other states, NASEO, ASHRAE, and ICC.

The other application, led by Earth Advantage, will examine pathways to support the adoption of Building Performance Standards in Oregon. Other members of the application included the New Buildings Institute, City of Eugene, City of Milwaukie, and City of Portland.​

On July 27, 2023, the Home Energy Performance-Based, Whole-House Rebates (HOMES) and the High-Efficiency Electric Home Rebate Program (HEEHR or HEAR) guidance was released by the U.S. DOE. These two programs will provide single-family and multifamily households with varying discounts for efficiency upgrades and rebates on high-efficiency home appliances and equipment. ODOE is planning for these programs to determine how these rebates will best work with other programs in Oregon and to determine eligibility or potential rebate amounts for any individual or household. While it is likely that the HOMES rebates will be retroactive, the state must still develop policies around eligibility, which must subsequently be approved by the U.S. DOE. Additionally, the HEAR rebates will not be retroactive, as per federal statute. Although the application is not due until January 31, 2025, ODOE will prioritize rapidly deploying this program, while ensuring a thorough and efficient implementation design. ODOE recently was awarded early access to a portion of the programs' administrative funding, which will help ODOE build capacity and fund work towards program development.

Please review our Frequently Asked Questions and answers about these programs. We will update this document as we have new information to share.

In the meantime, federal tax credits may be available for energy efficiency upgrades. Please consult a licensed tax professional for how these tax credits may apply to your circumstances. Interested in a program that isn't listed here? Please sign up for email updates, and as we receive information about new opportunities, we will send out communications. There are many details to these new programs that have not yet been released by federal agencies.

Solar for All is focused on providing benefits from solar energy to low-income households and disadvantaged communities. The grant funds can support financial assistance to individual households for solar and storage technology, as well as the enabling upgrades necessary to install solar technology on the residence. The program can support various aspects of solar technology, including community solar programs, workforce development and high-quality jobs, and supporting critical facilities that serve low-income and disadvantaged communities The Oregon Solar for All Coalition applied for this competitive funding as part of a coalition application, with ODOE serving as the coalition lead. Energy Trust of Oregon and Bonneville Environmental Foundation are coalition members in this application. The agency submitted its Notice of Intent to US EPA on July 28, 2023 and received legislative approval to apply for the grant prior to the submission deadline of October 12 , 2023 with our request totaling more than $138 million. 

More details are available on ODOE's Solar For All program page.