Oregon PUC Outlines Game Plans for Implementing New Energy and Climate Legislation

The Oregon Public Utility Commission (PUC)—like other agencies tasked with addressing energy and climate policies in the state—was busy before the 2021 legislative session. New laws passed this year assure that pace will continue.

A good summary of the work the PUC envisions as a result of this session can be found on its website, where the agency outlines "implementation game plans" for six new laws that will affect its work. Those plans provide a good overview of what the PUC views as its obligations coming out of the 2021 legislative session as well as how the new laws affect the agency's ongoing implementation efforts from earlier directives, including Governor Brown's 2020 climate change Executive Order 20-04.

The catalog of new laws, ranging from implementation of the HB2021's "100% Clean Energy" mandate to wildfire prevention and mitigation, reflects just how broadly the PUC's responsibilities extend. Built into all of these laws is, as the PUC describes, "an amplified focus on equity and affordability"—not only in such laws as HB2475 (which inter alia enables the PUC to establish rate classifications based on differential energy burdens) but also in HB2021's emphasis on environmental justice.

In addition to providing summaries of the agency's actions with respect to these topics, the PUC's page includes associated timelines for rulemakings and other dockets and reflects anticipated work for years to come.

Other agencies have prepared similar summaries. The Oregon Department of Energy, for instance, has published a report of 2021 legislation (which includes bills that passed and those that did not) affecting the agency. If you are interested in understanding the energy legislative landscape in Oregon, these resources provide a good starting point.