OREGON – Governor Tina Kotek has issued an executive order to advance the state’s new energy strategy, providing a roadmap for achieving Oregon’s climate and energy goals. 

The order directs agencies to strengthen the Clean Fuels Program, accelerate building and vehicle electrification and expand energy storage and transmission.

Nora Apter, Oregon director of the advocacy group Climate Solutions, who helped draft the strategy, emphasized the significance of the order.

“The energy strategy found that Oregon can achieve the energy transition we’ve mapped out. Doing so is the cheapest and most resilient option for Oregon households, businesses and communities,” said Apter.

Apter noted that the state’s energy strategy is the culmination of two years of work by the Oregon Department of Energy, tribes, local governments, utilities, community organizations and others.

Diane Brandt with the advocacy group Renewable Northwest highlighted a significant challenge in transitioning to clean energy.

She pointed out that, as the executive order states, Oregon needs to expand and upgrade its aging electrical grid to ensure reliability. “The energy strategy is requiring us to flex these muscles that have atrophied in order to figure out how we’re moving forward,” said Brandt.

Brandt added that many of the updates to the grid are needed now to ensure Oregonians have the power they need in the long term.

Oregon has set ambitious goals of reducing 80 percent of fossil fuel emissions by 2050 and achieving 100 percent clean electricity by 2040.