Oregon Clean Energy Opportunity a Success!

Thanks to a strong coalition and grassroots efforts led by frontline communities from across Oregon, OJTA and our partners successfully won the Oregon the Clean Energy Opportunity campaign! This was the first frontline coalition-led statewide campaign in our state’s history. Read the press release here.

Together, with the support of ally organizations, volunteers and lawmakers, we passed three groundbreaking bills for energy justice in the 2021 Oregon State legislative session:

1) 100% Clean Energy for All, HB 2021B transitions the state’s electricity to 100% clean energy by 2040 while centering benefits for communities of color and rural, coastal, and low-income communities and workers. Oregon will have the fastest timeline to eliminate greenhouse gas emissions from the electric sector in the United States. Click here for a fact sheet on HB 2021.

2) The Energy Affordability Act, HB 2427 creates a low-income rate class for utility bills. This will decrease utility costs for families already struggling in the economic recession by establishing a Low-Income Utility Rate Class. Click here for a fact sheet on HB 2472.

3) The Healthy Homes Act, HB 2842 creates the Healthy Homes Program and Healthy Homes Repair Fund within the Oregon Health Authority. This will grant $10 million to local governments, NGOs, Oregon Tribes, and other groups to assist our most in need with essential home repairs and retrofits. Click here for a fact sheet on HB 2842.

This victory demonstrates the power of frontline communities coming together for energy justice. Not only did we win policies, we built power and mobilized leaders to fight for more just and livable futures in communities across Oregon. Together, BIPOC, rural, coastal and low-income people across Oregon got to work—through the Energy Justice Leadership Institute, meeting with their lawmakers, writing letters to the editor and more. Here’s a snapshot of their efforts:

Artwork by Erika Alexia

• Community members sent over 680 hand-written postcards to legislators' offices in support of the 100% Clean Energy for All (HB 2021), Healthy Homes (HB 2842), and Energy Affordability bills (HB 2475)!

• People from across the state met on Zoom with two-thirds of legislators’ offices to communicate their support for 100% Clean Energy for All!

• 450 people submitted testimony in support of our bills

• Community advocates testified virtually before House & Senate Committees (many for the first time!)

• Volunteers made 5,000 calls to community members, which resulted in at least 250 calls to legislators

• Dozens of community members had letters to the editor published in the Oregonian, Portland Tribune, Coos Bay World, Medford Mail Tribune, Bend Bulletin, Columbia River Gorge News, and Daily Astorian.  

The Energy Justice Leadership Institute
Many of the grassroots efforts in the OCEO campaign were led by members of the Energy Justice Leadership Institute (EJLI), an 8-month long, bilingual education and organizing institute that included over 170 frontline community members across Oregon. In part 1, participants learned about Oregon’s energy system, which set them up for success in EJLI part 2, where they learned how Oregon’s government operates, the ins and outs of the OCEO policies, and grassroots advocacy and leadership skills. Participants learned by doing, serving on regional teams where they influenced lawmakers and raised awareness about energy justice and OCEO policies. OJTA distributed over $90,000 to BIPOC and low-income urban and rural community members for their participation. We now have a strong network of leaders in regions across Oregon who are more equipped to build a just transition in their communities. OJTA would like to thank the funders who made this possible, including the Schmidt Family Foundation, the Sierra Club Foundation and the Energy Foundation.

This past year has been a demonstration in the success frontline communities can have when we lead the way for environmental justice policies.

In summer 2020, OJTA and the Frontline Organizers Rising held the Oregon Green New Deal Listening Tour. Our communities across the state told us the truth: our energy policies do not serve the needs of Black, Indigenous, People of Color, rural, low-income communities, and people with disabilities. Communities across the state shared concerns about our extractive, unjust economy, and how we must transition to a clean, just energy system with strong labor protections. So OJTA, community of color-led and rural organizations, frontline community members and our allies got to work, launching and winning all three policies in the OCEO campaign!

Thank you to everyone who took action to support the Oregon Clean Energy Opportunity Campaign!

Governor Brown with Oregon Clean Energy Opportunity campaign leaders at the bill signing event, July 2021.