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| Introduction |
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Oregonians spend about $6 billion a year for natural gas, electricity, gasoline, oil products, wood,
propane and other fuels. Energy costs, however, extend beyond the dollar price tag. Producing and
using energy contribute to such environmental problems as the decline of fish runs, polluted air, and
global warming.
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| What We Do |
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The mission of the Oregon Department of Energy is to ensure Oregon has an adequate supply of reliable and affordable energy and is safe from nuclear contamination, by helping Oregonians save energy, develop clean energy resources, promote renewable energy, and clean up nuclear waste.. We accomplish this mission by doing the following:
- Encouraging investments in conservation and renewable resources by offering tax credits, loans, and rebates.
- Providing information and assistance to households, businesses, schools, and government agencies on ways to save energy.
- Demonstrating the workability of new energy- saving equipment, appliances, materials, manufacturing processes, and building practices.
- Regulating the cleanup and transportation of radioactive wastes through the state.
- Ensuring that the state is prepared to respond to accidents involving radioactive materials.
- Advocating the cleanup of radioactive wastes at the Hanford Nuclear Reservation.
- Providing technical help and financial incentives to promote the use of renewable resources.
- Siting prudent, safe and environmentally sound energy facilities.
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| How We Are Doing |
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The following report sheds light on how well performance measures and performance data are
leveraged within our agency for process improvement and results-based management.
Annual Performance Progress Report
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| Program Priorities |
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Keep up the pace to save energy (PDF)
By the end of 2000, Oregonian´s had saved enough energy through Oregon Department of Energy programs to equal about 4.5 billion kilowatt-hours.
Ensure that Oregon´s power supply remains reliable
Threatened power shortages highlight the importance of energy conservation and effective, streamlined siting of new power plants.
Ensure that restructuring of the electric utility industry will preserve Oregon´s commitment to conservation and the development of renewable resources
The Oregon Department of Energy is responsible for implementing parts of the new law to encourage investments by schools, and industry.
Advocate cleaning up Hanford to protect Oregon and Oregonians
The Hanford reservation contains a huge amount of nuclear waste. Much of it is stored in unsafe conditions, and some threatens to contaminate the Columbia River.
Provide the technical help that schools, state agencies, and local governments need to become more energy efficient and provideState Energy Loan Programs.
With aging facilities, significant opportunities remain to save energy and money.
Promote alternative travel modes and alternative fuels
To help alleviate traffic congestion and poor air quality, the Oregon Department of Energy promotes telework and company transit passes for employees and provides tax credits for alternative-fuel vehicles.
For additional background information click on the links below.
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| Hanford |
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The 560 square-mile Hanford site in Washington State contains the largest concentration of radioactive waste, generated during more than 40 years of producing plutonium for the nation’s nuclear weapons program. Some of these wastes will remain a threat for hundreds of thousands of years, potentially exposing Northwest citizens and the environment to danger if the wastes are released into the air, ground or water.
The Hanford site includes more than 1,500 waste sites, ranging from small areas of surface contamination to 177 underground tanks holding more that 53 million gallons of highly radioactive waste.
Hanford’s tanks provide the greatest health and environmental threat. At least 67 of the tanks have leaked more that 1 million gallons of highly radioactive waste into the soil. Many more tanks will likely leak in coming years. The tank leaks, combined with past massive intentional releases into the soil, have resulted in extensive contamination of the ground water beneath the site.
The radioactive waste in the tanks, in the soil and in the ground water presents a very real danger to the Columbia River. Some of this contamination has already reached the river. Unless extensive efforts are made to remove or contain these wastes, the amount reaching the river will greatly increase.
Another major concern is the storage of 2,100 tons of spent nuclear fuel in two aging water-filled basins less than 500 yards from the Columbia River. Hanford also has many plutonium-contaminated laboratories and production facilities. Their deteriorating condition increases the chance of explosion, fire or other accident that could result in a release of radioactive material.
Why Oregon is Involved
Oregon has a tremendous stake in ensuring the safe and timely cleanup of Hanford. Hanford is only 35 miles from the Oregon border. The Columbia River flows through the Hanford site, then continues downstream past prime Oregon farmlands and fisheries. The threat to the Columbia River is Oregon’s greatest concern at Hanford.
Oregon also acts to ensure the safe transport of radioactive waste that is shipped across Oregon to Hanford almost every day. These shipments most often travel on Interstate-84 through Pendleton, La Grande, Baker City and Ontario. In addition, Hermiston, Boardman and Umatilla are within the 50-mile nuclear emergency-planning radius of the Hanford site. The people there could be at risk in the event of a major accident at Hanford.
Despite these vital reasons for Oregon’s involvement in Hanford issues, Oregon does not have full partner status in the Tri-Party agreement that governs cleanup at Hanford. While Oregon seeks a stronger role at Hanford, the state works with the Washington Department of Ecology, federal agencies and other authorities to ensure Oregon’s interests are protected.
Accomplishments
- Oregon staff identified seismic hazards at spent nuclear fuel storage basins within 500 feet of the Columbia River. Oregon’s comments led to repairs and spurred the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to accelerate basin cleanup.
- Oregon staff were instrumental in convincing DOE to begin a "pump-and-treat" program to treat contaminated ground water before returning it to the ecosystem.
- Oregon’s long-standing efforts to resolve questions about contamination from tank leaks finally resulted in drilling of the first slant well underneath Hanford’s tank farms, providing the first data from directly beneath a leaked tank.
- Oregon staff worked with other Western states to develop a comprehensive transportation safety program to reduce radioactive material transportation risks and to gain increased responsibility from DOE on transportation issues.
- Oregon provided for the training of thousands of emergency responders throughout the state to effectively respond to a transport accident involving radioactive materials.
- Oregon Energy staff are responsible for the state’s emergency response to any accident or incident at Hanford. The food protection plan staff developed is recognized as one of the most advanced in the country.
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| Energy Facility Siting |
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What is the Energy Facility Siting Council?
The 1975 Legislature created the Oregon Energy Facility Siting Council. The council is a seven- member citizen’s board, appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Senate, which decides whether large energy facilities can be built. Those facilities include power plants with a capacity greater than 25 megawatts, high- voltage power lines, natural gas storage facilities, and major intrastate natural gas and oil pipelines, among others. The Oregon Department of Energy staffs the council. Current council members are from Bend, Corvallis, Gresham, Hermiston, Portland, Salem and Troutdale.
How does Oregon’s state siting process work?
The council carries out its responsibilities by evaluating, in an open process, whether a proposed facility meets a minimum set of performance standards. If a proposed facility fails to meet any of the standards, an application to build may be denied.
The siting of energy facilities is streamlined in Oregon. In contrast to the process for obtaining permits and licenses for other large industrial facilities, the siting of energy facilities is a one-step process. All necessary state and local permits, licenses and approvals the applicant needs are decided within the siting process. There is one consolidated hearing, and there can be only one appeal, which goes directly to the state Supreme Court.
What has the council sited recently?
Since 1994, the Energy Facility Siting Council has approved a natural gas pipeline, six power plants and a wind generation facility.
Eight proposed power facilities and a natural gas pipeline are being reviewed by council staff as of February 2002.
For more information
For more information about siting, contact:
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| Alternative Resources |
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Renewable energy resources – such as solar, wind, wood and organic solid waste – can help Oregon meet its energy needs without causing the environmental harm that occurs by burning oil and natural gas. These clean energy resources have potential that remains relatively untapped. However, barriers such as cost and unfamiliar technology can hinder the widespread development and use of renewable resources. To help remove cost barriers, the Oregon Department of Energy offers tax credits, loans, grants and technical advice for renewable energy projects. An office focus is to look for niche applications where renewable energy resources offer a cost – effective solution.
Through office programs, more than 500 businesses and some 20,000 households have installed heating systems using solar, wind or geothermal systems. In addition, the office has helped finance small hydroelectric power plants, cogeneration power plants at paper and lumber mills, biogas plants in Benton and Lane counties that generate electricity from landfill methane, and Oregon’s first fuel cell at a City of Portland wastewater treatment plant.
Recent Projects include:
- Protecting streams with solar power
Many Oregon ranchers face the problem of needing to water cattle while also protecting streambeds. One solution is pumping water away from streams to watering troughs. The Oregon Department of Energy has funded several small solar systems for ranchers to demonstrate how solar water pumps are cheaper, cleaner and quieter than the diesel power alternative and require less maintenance. The office’s Solar Water Pumping program provides financial incentives and technical assistance for ranchers who install solar water pumps.
- Turning an environmental problem into clean profit
Tillamook Creamery wanted to expand its operations into Morrow County, bringing with it the need for milk from 21,000 dairy cows. However, the resulting manure would create environmental concerns. The owners of the three dairies involved are using $6 million from the Oregon Department of Energy State Loan program to build a digester facility that will process the manure into methane gas, fiber and clean effluent. The methane will be burned to produce electricity. The fiber will be sold as soil nutrient, and farms will use the effluent as a soil amendment.
Alternative Fuels
Powering vehicles with natural gas, electricity, methanol, ethanol, propane or hydrogen can improve air quality and conserve oil. The Oregon Department of Energy provides tax credits, loans, and technical advice to spur investments by individuals, businesses, schools, government agencies and transit districts for alternative fuel vehicles and refueling equipment.
Oregonians have invested more than $12 million in alternative fuel vehicles and fueling systems since 1985. Those investments include:
- 14 compressed natural gas (CNG) stations
- 1 liquefied natural gas station
- 250 light-duty CNG fleet sedans
- 25 para-transit CNG vans
- 150 propane vans
- more than 100 CNG lift trucks
- 26 full-size transit buses
- 4 electric vehicles
- 40 electric forklifts
Recent projects include:
- The office worked with the state to buy four hybrid electric cars that continuously alternate between an electric battery and gasoline depending on the kind of driving performed. The cars earn up to 70 miles per gallon of gasoline.
- With the help of grant money secured by the office, the Port of Portland is converting all of the gas and diesel buses in its long term parking fleet to run on CNG. The conversion means cleaner air, lower fuel costs and less engine maintenance.
- A growing number of companies are switching their lift-truck fuel from gas or propane to CNG using office technical help and Business Energy Tax Credits.
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| Conservation |
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Conservation is a cornerstone of Oregon’s energy policy because it is the most environmentally clean way to meet our energy needs, and, over the long run, it is the cheapest. Opportunities to become energy efficient come from virtually every house, building, industrial plant, appliance, machine and piece of equipment that uses energy. In tapping these opportunities, the Oregon Department of Energy provides information to consumers, demonstrates new technologies, and offers a variety of programs to encourage Oregonians to conserve energy and use renewable resources.
Altogether, Oregon Department of Energy conservation programs have helped nearly 100,000 businesses, schools, residents, governments and other consumers save energy. To date, savings earned through all Oregon Department of Energy programs, across all fuels, add up to roughly the amount of energy used by a city the size of Salem. For electricity alone, Oregon would have to build two new power plants to generate the amount saved by Oregon Department of Energy programs. Overall, Oregonians have cut their energy bills by more than $250 million a year.
Recent Projects include:
- Improving Industrial Practices
Consolidated Metco, Inc. in Clackamas had been burning 2,500 BTU of natural gas for each pound of aluminum it melted every month to make truck parts. The company used a Business Energy Tax Credit to invest in more efficient furnace technology relatively unknown in the U.S. With its new $400,000 furnace, the company cut its fuel requirements by 60 percent, saving about $140,000 a year in energy costs.
- Reducing Traffic Congestion and Air Pollution
Limited parking, congested commutes and local air-pollution problems had created headaches for Medford’s Bear Creek Corporation during its peak mail- order season when it added staff. Since 1998, the company has used a Business Energy Tax Credit to help buy 5,000 transit passes distributed free to peak-season employees. Bear Creek estimates that its most recent investment of $16,000 in passes saved 112,000 vehicle miles in four months.
- Saving Schools Energy and Money
Jefferson County Middle School in Eastern Oregon had abnormally high energy bills. A free Oregon Department of Energy study showed installation and other problems with the school’s computerized energy controls. Fixing the system to run correctly is saving the school $10,000 a year in energy costs and is making its building more comfortable.
- Weatherizing Rental Apartments
Garfield properties in Milton-Freewater is installing floor and attic insulation, insulating and sealing ducts and replacing old windows with efficient models in its two apartment units. These two join the more that 45,000 units that have been weatherized under the Business Energy Tax Credit Program. The program serves as an incentive for apartment owners to complete efficiency measures whose cost savings ultimately go to residents. The measures at Garfield Properties are expected to reduce energy bills for residents by 70 percent.
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