June 2023 Climate Wins!
June was a historic month for climate victories in Oregon and we hope you’ll make time to celebrate! We are grateful to every single person who has been working so hard for the past two years, including lawmakers, climate organizations, public employees–and especially people like you who contacted your elected leaders to help achieve these climate justice accomplishments.
First, the Multnomah County Board of Commissioners’ voted to sue Big Oil for damages caused during the 2021 Heat Dome and $50 billion to retrofit the County for climate change. See details below.
At the state level, this legislative session was a rollercoaster, to say the least! In January we got off to an exciting start with a big slate of climate justice legislation that advocates and legislators alike had been preparing for months. Then, for six weeks mid-session Republicans denied the legislature the necessary quorum to conduct most business. Even though many thought that the session was effectively over, climate advocates and legislators sponsoring climate bills persevered because they know that our planet can’t wait. Then finally, on June 15th Republicans returned after striking a deal with the Democrats, thus ending the longest walkout in state history.
Thanks to creative behind-the-scenes pivoting there emerged the ambitious Climate Resilience Package (HB 3409 & HB 3630), which requested $100 million in funding for over a dozen climate justice bills. And with the resumption of session, there was hope this package could pass which, on Saturday, June 24th, the Climate Resilience Package DID officially Pass!
We hope you will enjoy details demonstrating the innovation and independent spirit of our state moto: Alis volat propriis or She flies with her own wings.
CLIMATE RESILIENCE PACKAGE
This is the most comprehensive climate package in Oregon history, providing essential public services to reduce climate and air pollution, support healthy, affordable, resilient communities, and create family-wage jobs across Oregon. The policies and programs included in this package were strategically crafted to leverage unprecedented federal funding for climate and clean energy. By investing roughly $100 million in crucial climate action and community resilience, the Climate Resilience Package will enable the state to leverage at least 10 times that in federal funding. Highlights include the following bills:
Resilient, Efficient Buildings Package (SB 868, 869, 870, 871, HB 3166),
Community Resilience Hubs (HB 2990),
Natural Climate Solutions (SB 530), Community Green Infrastructure Act or theAKA TREES Act (HB 3016),
Environmental Justice and Tribal Navigator (SB 852), and many more.
Community Renewable Energy Grant Program - Provides funding for ODOE’s Community Renewable Energy Grant Program to support planning and developing community renewable energy and energy resilience projects.
You can read more details about all the bills included in the package at the end of this post.
The Climate Resilience Package will provide essential public services to:
Strengthen the health and resilience of Oregon’s communities, lands, and local economies, create and sustain local, family-wage jobs in construction, energy, and agriculture.
Drive down the cost of living through increased energy efficiency and lower energy bills through increased affordable access to renewable energy like solar, storage and microgrids, as well as life-saving cooling technologies like heat pumps to protect Oregonians from extreme heat.
Support Oregon’s natural resource economies through healthier crops, improved water quality, increased drought and wildfire resistance, and provide rural communities with resources for emergency preparedness and resilience hubs.
We owe a huge debt of gratitude to our champions in the Oregon House and Senate for their work to get this vital climate package across the finish line. Positive accountability today helps embolden and empower our leaders in government to build on climate progress in the future.
To share our gratitude and to communicate our continued commitment to climate justice legislation, join us in thanking your legislators here 👇
Check out details of the Climate Resilience Package further down in this post.
MULTNOMAH COUNTY V. BIG OIL
It's hard to forget nearly two years ago when the Pacific Northwest was ravaged by a historic heat dome. With temperatures in the triple digits for three days reaching upwards of 116-degrees, hundreds of people in Oregon, Washington, and Western Canada died, 96 in Oregon, with 69 in Multnomah County alone. That 2021 heat dome would have never been possible without climate change.
And yesterday, Multnomah County took action. The Board of Commissioners unanimously voted to sue 17 oil and gas companies for $52 million for damages from the heat dome, $1.5 billion for future damages, and $50 billion for climate adaptation retrofits. This lawsuit acknowledges the role Big Oil and their consultants play in creating historic weather events that will only escalate. You can read the resolution and watch the Commission proceedings here (start at 2:21).
While this lawsuit is going to court in Multnomah County, we believe this bold action could ripple across the United States, showing the power of local government to pursue climate justice.
We are immensely grateful to Multnomah County staff and Board of Commissioners for their leadership. Please join us in thanking them by signing onto our letter of appreciation.
News Coverage
"Multnomah County sues fossil fuel companies for nearly $52 billion over heat dome" (OPB)
"Oregon county sues big oil over 2021 heatwave that killed dozens of people" (The Guardian)
Description of Climate Resilience Package Bills
The following are all the bills included in the Climate Resilience Package making up the most comprehensive climate legislation in Oregon history.
Bills within HB 3409
Resilient, Efficient Buildings Policy Package (SB 868, 869, 870, 871) - Leverages federal funding to improve efficiency of homes and buildings; supports healthy, affordable, resilient communities and family-wage job creation across Oregon.
Community Resilience Hubs (HB 2990) - Funds community resilience hubs and networks across the state to coordinate and provide access to resources and services for vulnerable populations during disasters.
Natural Climate Solutions (SB 530) - Supports cost-sharing to leverage tens of millions in federal investments for Oregon forestland owners, farmers, and ranchers to implement climate-smart land management practices, increasing carbon sequestration and improving the resilience of Oregon communities and natural resource economies.
Oregon Climate Council Modernization (SB 522) - Provides long-overdue staffing and representation on the Oregon Global Warming Commission.
Medium and Heavy Duty Electric Vehicle Rebate Program (HB 2714) - Creates a DEQ program that can compete for $1 billion in federal IRA funding for medium- and heavy-duty zero emission vehicle rebates.
Trees Restoring Economic and Environmental Stability Act (HB 3016) - Creates a Community Green Infrastructure Grant Program at DLCD to fund communities to develop projects that increase tree canopy, improve livability, and support water quality and conservation.
Siting Renewable Energy (HB 3181) - Directs DLCD in coordination with ODOE to find opportunities and minimize conflicts on siting of solar projects in Oregon through engaging stakeholders in a rulemaking advisory committee process.
Climate Protection Program Fee Bill (HB 3196) - Supports DEQ oversight and accountability of Oregon’s cornerstone Climate Protection Program to ensure the Community Climate Investment program achieves its intended climate pollution reduction goals and benefits for communities of color, rural, low-income, Tribal, and other communities across the state.
Harmful Algal Blooms (HB 2647) - Protects Oregonians from harmful algal blooms in drinking water, which are likely to occur more often due to shifting precipitation patterns from climate change.
Woody Biomass for Low-Carbon Fuels (HB 3590) - Directs College of Forestry at Oregon State University to research development of fuel pathways for low carbon fuels derived from woody biomass residues from forestry operations.
Bills within HB 3630:
State Energy Strategy (HB 2534) - Directs ODOE to develop a comprehensive state energy strategy that identifies optimized pathways to achieving the state’s energy policies.
County Energy Resilience Planning (HB 3378) - Supports counties’ development of energy resilience planning and integration into wildfire mitigation plans.
Resilient, Efficient Buildings - ODOE One-Stop-Shop (HB 3166) - Leverages federal funding to improve efficiency of homes and buildings; supports healthy, affordable, resilient communities and family-wage job creation across Oregon.
Environmental Justice and Tribal Navigator (SB 852) - Establishes a program within ODOE to provide information about state and federal funding opportunities and other technical assistance to rural, Tribal, and other environmental justice communities as they work to develop energy projects or build energy-related capacity.
Solar + Storage Rebate Program Extension (HB 3418) - Extends sunset on solar and storage project rebates for residential customers and low-income service providers, extending the program through January 2029, enabling the program to potentially receive and distribute tens of millions in federal funding from EPA’s Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund. These rebates facilitate low- and moderate-income Oregonians to save on electric bills and retain power during outages.
Residential Heat Pump Program Extension (HB 3056) - Supports implementation of ODOE’s Residential and Community Heat Pump Deployment Programs established by the 2021 legislature to bring much-needed heat relief to Oregon communities.
