What's New

Victory! On June 13, the Oregon Senate cast its final vote in favor of our energy efficiency bill, SB 375, which sets minimum energy efficiency standards for appliances, including DVD players and commercial refrigerators. The bill will save enough electricity to power 10,000 Oregon households. The bill now heads to the Governor's desk to be signed into law.

The Issue

Energy problems are causing all sorts of problems for Oregonians. With gas prices soaring, home heating bills soaring, global warming getting worse, and our national energy policy causing foreign policy problems, it’s clear we need to be energy-independent. The fastest and cheapest way to get there is to use less energy.

The good news is that we have the technology and the know-how to build appliance, homes, and buildings that consume less energy. Oregon has been a leader in energy conservation, and Portland has more green buildings than any other city. But we need policies to apply these lessons statewide – so we can move our state toward energy independence, cut global warming pollution, and save money on our energy bills.

Environment Oregon is lobbying the Oregon Legislature to pass several bills that will make both buildings and appliances more energy-efficient.

Energy-Efficient Buildings

The buildings we live and work in are major consumers of energy – both electricity and natural gas. Making buildings that use less energy – either by using more efficient heating and lighting systems or by improving insulation and positioning the building so it requires less energy to heat and cool – is a critical strategy for reducing energy consumption.

Environment Oregon is working to make sure Oregon’s state government sets the standard for energy-efficient buildings. We are partnering with the AFL-CIO to support a bill, House Bill 2876, to cut energy use in existing state agencies 20 percent by 2015. We are also partnering with the American Institute of Architects to support a bill that would require new state government construction to meet the highest standards for green and energy-efficient design. Senate Bill 576 will set the highest standards of any state government.

We are also working to make it easier for all Oregonians to use cutting-edge, energy-saving technology and strategies. House Bill 2211, creates a new tax credit for high-performance homes that use very little energy and also generate their own renewable energy so that the home uses almost zero net energy over the course of a year.

Energy-Efficient Appliances

The appliances in our homes are a major source of energy consumption. But technology already on the market can significantly cut the energy our appliances use, reducing fossil fuel dependence and saving consumers money at the same time. In 2005, Environment Oregon helped pass a bill that set energy-saving standards for 11 appliances. By 2020, that bill will save enough electricity to power 50,000 homes and save Oregonians nearly $250 million on their energy bills.

This year, Environment Oregon is working with the Oregon Citizens’ Utility Board and Senator Vicki Walker (Eugene) to set standards for another 7 appliances. The bill, Senate Bill 375, includes the following products:

• Water coolers
• Hot food holding cabinets (for restaurants and grocery stores)
• Walk-in refrigerators and freezers
• Compact audio products (CD players)
• DVD players and recorders
• Hot tubs

SB 375 will save enough electricity to power 10,000 Oregon households and save Oregon consumers and businesses $63 million on energy bills.