Not Acting on Clean Energy Could Cost Oregonians
Posted on December 9, 2025 by Cassie Allen
Tags, Energy, General Interest
This November, the Oregon Department of Energy (ODOE) unveiled the long-awaited Oregon Energy Strategy report, a roadmap towards meeting Oregon’s clean energy goals. This report has found that not acting on clean energy could cost Oregonians.
In 2023, legislators passed HB 3630, which directed the Oregon Department of Energy (ODOE) to develop a comprehensive state energy strategy to meet our state’s climate objectives. Now that we have the report, it’s clear once again that investing in clean energy is the right choice for Oregon.
The Cost of Inaction on Clean Energy
Climate change is also adding additional costs for Oregon households, businesses, industries, and government. The increasing frequency and duration of extreme summer and winter weather are further straining electricity systems, creating extreme prices during peak events. When demand is higher, the cost of securing enough electricity or gas goes up for utilities.
Dealing with extreme heat waves, widespread drought conditions, severe wildfires, flooding, coastal erosion, and other extreme weather events is increasingly hitting Oregonians’ bottom lines.
In the coming decades, it is estimated that the average Oregonian could lose about $12,000 in income each year from the effects of greenhouse gas emissions.
Unless global emissions decline considerably, inaction on climate will commit Oregonians to increasingly higher costs as we feel the full impacts of climate change. While our state can’t reduce emissions alone, we have an opportunity to reduce emissions and provide economic opportunities associated with the energy transition.
Gas and Electric Utilities Need to Reduce Emissions
According to the Energy Strategy report, Oregon’s energy production and use account for over 80 percent of the state’s greenhouse gas emissions. This means energy is one of the focal points for mitigating climate change and meeting statewide greenhouse gas reduction goals.
Over the last five years, Oregon has adopted many policies to reduce climate emissions from our energy utilities. Here are just a few that will impact our gas and electric utilities:
- 2023 - HB 3630: Directs ODOE to develop a comprehensive state energy strategy
- 2021 - HB 2021: Emissions-reduction requirements for PGE, Pacific Power, and covered electricity service suppliers of 80% emissions reductions by 2030, 90% by 2035, 100% by 2040
- 2021 - Climate Protection Program: 90% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from natural gas, liquid fuels, and propane by 2050
- 2020 - Executive Order 20-04: Economy-wide 80% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050
Our energy utilities need to take action to reduce emissions. As we continue to face the consequences of climate change, like extreme weather and wildfires, the impact on energy costs will only continue to get worse. We can’t afford not to invest in clean energy.
Oregon is Facing an Energy Affordability Crisis
Energy costs have risen exponentially over the past several years. Many customers are struggling to pay their energy bills, leading to rising disconnection rates. Federal and state energy assistance programs can’t keep up with the growing demand for support.
Meanwhile, electricity demand threatens to outpace infrastructure growth, global events are causing fluctuations in fuel prices, and our federal government is reversing course on clean energy and energy efficiency policies.
All of these moving factors and more add up to drive energy prices even higher, creating instability in Oregon households. Energy insecurity, defined as the inability to adequately meet household energy needs, leads households to reduce or forgo food and medicine to cover energy costs.
We Can’t Afford to Wait on Clean Energy
We can’t afford to wait when it comes to tackling climate change. Cost of living and affordability are already major issues for Oregonians. This report makes it clear that we need to reduce emissions and transition to clean, affordable, reliable energy.
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12/15/25 | 0 Comments | Not Acting on Clean Energy Could Cost Oregonians