State of Oregon: GET INVOLVED - Built Environment Efficiency Working Group

The multi-agency Built Environment Efficiency Working Group is tasked with implementing Governor Kate Brown's Executive Order 17-20, a directive to improve the built environment in our state.

Executive Order 17-20

In November 2017, Governor Kate Brown signed two Executive Orders (17-20 and 17-21) with specific directives to state agencies to improve energy efficiency, boost electric vehicle adoption, and support actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the state.

The Governor’s Executive Order No. 17-20 focuses on the built environment – specifically, residential, commercial, and public buildings across the state. Emissions data show that residential and commercial buildings – especially their electricity and other energy consumption – are a large greenhouse gas contributor. Reducing energy use and increasing efficiency will help lower emissions from the built environment.

Putting the Executive Order into Action

Date	Directive	Milestone
July 2022	3(B): Carbon-Neutral Operations for New State Buildings	DAS/DEQ/ODOE Publish Guidance Memo
February 2020	3(C): DAS to update policies for behavior-based efficiency	Directive Completed: Energy and Resource Conservation Statewide Policy
January 2020	5(C): ODOE and PUC are directed to support and assist private sector partners in efforts to coordinate sharing of data that shows projected energy use reductions in the region.	Directive Completed: Coordination of Data Summary Report
December 2019	6: ODOE and BCD, in consulation with DAS, PUC, and OHCS are directed to adopt a cost-analysis tool by December 1, 2019.	Directive Completed: Cost Analysis Protocol Cost Analysis Tool
October 2019	4(D): BCD and Advisory Boards to amend code to require solar readiness requirements and exemptions for commercial buildings.	2019 Oregon Zero Energy Ready Commercial Code
June 2019	3(D): DAS and ODOE to ensure all equipment purchased by the state meets high-efficiency energy and water use specifications by incorporating standards into procurement requirements.	Directive Completed: Efficient Building Equipment Procurement Requirements Report
December 2018	5(D): ODOE and PUC to evaluate the state’s distributed resources needed to improve Oregon’s recovery from a disaster, and submit a report to the Governor.	Directive Completed: Role of Efficiency & Distributed Energy Resources in Resilience Report
December 2018	4(E): ODOE and BCD to provide a report to the Governor on key, expanding industries with potential to realize significant cost savings and energy savings through building code amendments.	Directive Completed: Expanding Industries & Building Code Amendments Report
December 2018	3(C): ODOE and DAS to develop a plug load strategy to reduce energy uses not regulated by codes and standards.	Plug Load Strategy Complete: Statewide Plug Load Strategy Report
December 2018	5(B): ODOE, PUC, OHCS assess energy use in all affordable housing building stock. Develop 10-year plan to achieve maximum efficiency.	Directive Completed: 10-Year Plan Guide for Assessment Tool GIS Assessment Tool
December 2018	5(A): PUC working with Energy Trust of Oregon on development of meter-based savings pilot programs.	Directive Completed: Summary Report
December 2018	3(E): Develop a tool to inform high performance energy use targets and carbon neutral requirements for state buildings.	Directive Completed: Summary Report
November 2018	4(F): ODOE and stakeholders identify and adopt appliance standards, aligning with other leading states.	Directive Completed: Appliance Standards Report
May 2018	3(A): ODOE to develop database of eligible state-owned buildings.	Database Completed: Summary Report

View BEEWG's progress chart for additional updates.

The BEEWG

The Built Environment Efficiency Working Group (BEEWG) is a collaborative of state agencies including the Oregon Department of Energy, Department of Administrative Services, Building Codes Division, Public Utility Commission, and Oregon Housing & Community Services. The group will work on implementing the directives from the EO by tackling the needed cost analyses, barriers to implementation, and more. The group will also seek input from stakeholders across the state.

View materials from BEEWG meetings
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Improving the Built Environment

The BEEWG will focus on directives from the Governor's EO, including:

Solar-ready buildings. New residential buildings are ready for installation of solar panels and related technologies by October 2020, and by October 2022 for commercial buildings.
EV-ready parking lots. Associated parking structures are able to support electric vehicle charging by October 2022.
Zero-energy homes. For new residential construction, structures will need to achieve at least equivalent performance levels with the U.S. Department of Energy “Zero Energy Ready Standard” by October 2023.
High performance buildings. For new commercial construction, buildings will exceed national model energy codes and meet energy efficiency levels of high-performance standards by October 2022.
High efficiency H20. For new construction, commercial code will require high-efficiency water fixtures by January 2020, and the ability to capture and safely reuse water for irrigation or other uses by October 2025.
State resources. State agencies will work with high energy-use industries to help them reduce their carbon footprint through code amendments.
State leadership. State agencies will continue our commitment to lead by example by ensuring existing state-owned buildings operate efficiently, and by constructing new buildings that operate as carbon-neutral by 2022.