Climate Emergency Team
Coordinator: Claudia Keith
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Efficient and Resilient Buildings: Bill Glassmire
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Environmental Justice: Nancy Rosenberger
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Environmental Rights Amendment: Claudia Keith
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Natural Climate Solution - Forestry: Josie Koehne
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CEI - Critical Energy Infrastructure : Nikki Mandell and Laura Rogers
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Community Resilince & Emergency Management: Rebecca Gladstone
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Transportation: Claudia Keith
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Joint Ways and Means - Budgets, Lawsuits, Green/Public Banking,
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Divestment/ESG: Claudia Keith
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Find additional Climate Change Advocacy volunteers in Natural Resources
Please see Climate Emergency Overview here.
Jump to a topic:
Highlights
It is not clear at this point what to expect for the 2026 short session. Likely leadership will continue to focus on challenging fiscal issues, Federal Executive Branch constitutional / overreach issues affecting fiscal and policy issues and the Governor’s on-going priorities. As in previous short sessions the League plans to work independently and with our coalition partners on critical pragmatic focused legislation. But they have not shared their climate/energy priorities for the 2026 session.
Key climate and energy issues
New legislation in effect in fall 2025
Several energy-related bills from the 2025 session became effective in late September 2025 (91 days after the session's conclusion on June 27).
Key legislation includes:
Microgrids: HB 2066 directs the Oregon Public Utility Commission (PUC) to establish a regulatory framework for microgrids.
Grid enhancement: HB 3336 requires electric companies to plan for the deployment of grid-enhancing technologies (GETs).
Investment reporting: HB 2081, the "Climate Resilience Investment Act," requires the State Treasury to analyze and report on climate change-related risks to the public employee retirement fund (PERS).
Failed or stalled initiatives
During the 2025 regular session, a number of significant climate and energy proposals did not pass but could be revisited in the future. These included:
"Right to a clean environment": Senate Joint Resolution (SJR 28), a proposed constitutional amendment, failed to pass.
Climate Superfund: Bills (SB 682, SB 1187) that would have established a climate superfund to cover the costs of climate change did not pass.
Fossil fuel divestment: A bill (SB 681) to prohibit fossil fuel investments by the State Treasury failed.
Future policy discussions
Policymakers and advocates have already set the stage for continued climate and energy debates:
Oregon Energy Strategy: The Oregon Department of Energy (ODOE) solicited public feedback in September 2025 for a new energy strategy to help the state meet its climate goals.
Ongoing debates: Issues such as utility costs for large users, transportation policy, and wildfire funding were discussed in the 2025 regular session and are expected to continue in future sessions.
Looking ahead
The interim work in September and October 2025, including the House Committee on Climate, Energy, and Environment (CEE) meetings, helped to shape the climate and energy policy agenda for future sessions. Further interim legislative days are planned for November, 2025 and January, 2026.
In addition, potentially effecting 2026 session, SCEE Committee Hearing included Invited Speakers Only, which heard presentations regarding:
Washington’s Climate Commitment Act
Green Banking:
Maine’s Blue Economy Task Force
Impacts of Federal Actions on Oregon’s Solar Industry
The House CEE heard presentations on the Impacts of Recent Federal Actions on Energy and Environment-Related Agency Operations and Renewable Energy Development in Oregon.
Natural and Working Lands (NWL)
By Josie Koehne
The Oregon Climate Action Commission (OCAC) report from the Oregon Department of Forestry on the NWL Fund was very minimal and did not include how much of the Fund ODF has been spent-- repeating what the Fund wis intended to fund and just a little on the seed banking with no financials or timeframes. In addition, the recording of the Sept 3 was without any visuals, was completely inaudible and one presentation had not been posted. The League complained to Chair Kelly and now the presentation and a better recording have been posted: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XVuDrjTwZew&t=8066s listen around 1:45.
Oregon Climate Equity Network Meeting Sept. 4, 2025
The long session largely focused on expensive issues other than climate. New leadership was not well-positioned to meet the moment. With 4,000+ bills there was a lack of clear, unified priorities among the Democratic supermajorities. Climate advocates were on constant defense to prevent stalling and weakening of bills. A number of Key learnings:
Need to cultivate champions now more than ever.
Utilities still hold a lot of power, but their constant opposition works against them.
Legislator reputation and abilities can make or break a bill.
Committee leadership matters – see above.
Governor’s input (when offered) can be decisive.
One-time funding should be avoided; advocates should not come back with requests year after year.
Legislative Days, Sept. 29–Oct. 1: Need to fill Amy Schlusser’s seat on the Environmental Quality Commission with a climate advocate – she now works in Gov. Kotek’s office. One more EQC seat to fill as well.
The President is trying to rescind all IRA investments, which would drastically impact our state budget. The budget reconciliation act accelerates phase-out of solar/wind tax credits; rescinds unobligated funding from EPA programs; implements FIAT restrictions that complicate supply chains for renewable energy; and provides selective support for nuclear, hydrogen, clean fuels. USDA is blocking siting of solar on “prime farm land.”
ODOE Energy Strategy comments were due 9/22. . Major pathways include energy efficiency (buildings and transp.), strategic electrification, clean electricity, low-carbon fuels for hard-to-decarbonize applications, resilience. Feedback and themes from the Nine Tribes focused on energy independence, affordability, decision making, funding access, and consultation. Calls for 42 near-term actions. ODOE will get major pushback from O&G and utilities.
2026 session (Feb. 2-March 9) priorities:
Building Resilience: electrification of homes and buildings, managed transition off Natural Gas, resilience to climate harms.
Clean Grid Collaborative: Address statewide transmission restraints, continue to work toward a state transmission authority. Governor support would be key.
Move Oregon Forward: Road usage charge fix – raise rate from 20 mph to 30 mph; transit funding – remove the 2028 sunset.
Cap and Invest conversation.
Legislators are facing a critical vote on the transportation package, and they are already being attacked. Industry is trying to persuade them that the “easy fix” is to divert money from the Climate Protection Program. DEQ CPP
President Wagner said no to moving forward SJR 28, the right to a healthy environment amendment. Concerns are that it would trigger a GOP walkout, issues with the title of the proposed amendment. Likely no action in short session but still a target for the next long session.
Recent National and State News
Oregon to accelerate siting of renewable energy projects to beat Trump’s incentive deadline | OPB “Today, Governor Tina Kotek signed Executive Order 25-25 to accelerate the pace of renewable wind and solar project development in the state ...
Oregon officials decry Trump administration’s revocation of scientific finding on carbon emissions - OPB
Oregon Lawmakers Pass Transportation Funding Stopgap, Leaving Critical Investments in Safety and Climate for Another Session | Climate Solutions
Special Session Update: The Path Ahead for Transportation - Oregon Environmental Council
How Oregon Can Leverage Its Nature for a Brighter Future | The Pew Charitable Trusts
Oregon DOE September 2025 Newsletter — Energy Info
Calendar
Looking Ahead
Oregon Climate Action Commission | October 10, 2025 | Via Webinar
Energy Facility Siting Council | October 23-24, 2025 | Maupin and Via Webinar
Current Rulemakings (click to see details)
Other Stakeholder Groups (click to see details)
2025 CUB Energy Policy Conference | October 3, 2025 | ODOE Sponsoring + Presenting
League of Oregon Cities 100th Annual Conference | October 2-4, 2025 | ODOE Sponsoring
2025 ACEEE National Conference on Energy Efficiency as a Resource | October 7, 2025 | ODOE Presenting
Government-to-Government Summit | October 7, 2025 | ODOE Attending
Regional Energy Symposium | October 9, 2025 | ODOE Presenting
Can Oregon and Washington Price Carbon Pollution? - The Climate Trust, Published: September 30, 2025, Ecosystem Marketplace's Carbon Program
BPA will buy wave-energy power generated at Oregon coast test site. | Oregonian, (Related: LWVOR's Coastal study included a discussion of wave energy: 2012 – Coastal and Nearshore Oregon: Using and Protecting Our Natural Resources
An overview of the complex, interconnected issues and challenges that must be addressed in making decisions to manage the natural resources of the coastline; reflects the economic, social, and cultural impacts of these management decisions with particular emphasis on marine reserves and ocean energy.
Links to additional Information (Word document)
NPR for Oregonians
Oregon is set to lose an additional $400 million in federal grants awarded for climate action along with a number of other states.
Trump called climate change a ‘con job’ at the United Nations. Here are the facts and context | PBS News
There are two major federal and global economic tax issues effecting CE: the US tariff program rolled out by the current admin and reaction to it and CBAM and CBAT, EU Carbon border tax. (Brookings)
Climate Lawsuits and Our Children’s Trust
Here is one example of how to track ODEQ Climate Protection Program cases. Basically, there are a number of active federal lawsuits, Climate Litigation Oct 3 Updates
Another source: Columbia University Law - Sabin Climate DB lists 91 lawsuits , (active and dismissed) mentioning Oregon.
Climate Lawsuit News
October 03, 2025
Sabin Center for Climate Change Law & UNEP Release a New Climate Litigation Report
October 03, 2025
Climate Litigation Updates (October 3, 2025)
September 26, 2025
The Sabin Center and Climate Policy Radar Relaunch The Climate Litigation Database
October 3, 2025 - Grist :The kids who sued America over climate change aren’t done yet
September 29, 2025 - Inside Climate News : Climate Activists Thwarted in U.S. Courts Are Headed to an International Tribunal for Review
September 29, 2025 - Rolling Stone : Inside the Fight Against Trump’s Alaskan Pipe Dream
September 26, 2025 - E&E News: Juliana climate case arrives at international court
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED: What is your passion related to Climate Emergency ? You can help. Volunteers are needed. The short legislative session begins in January of 2026. Many State Agency Boards and Commissions meet regularly year-round and need monitoring. If any area of climate or natural resources is of interest to you, please contact Peggy Lynch, Natural Resources Coordinator, or Claudia Keith Climate Emergency at peggylynchor@gmail.com Or climatepolicy@lwvor.org. Training will be offered.
Interested in reading additional reports? Please see our Governance, Revenue, Natural Resources, and Social Policy report section