Oregon takes a confident step towards sustainable energy resilience as Governor Tina Kotek signs two pivotal bills into law. According to a statement from the Governor's Office, House Bills 2065 and 2066 are now state law, setting the stage for a broader implementation of microgrid technology in urban, suburban, and rural regions of the state.
At a signing last Thursday, Governor Kotek underscored the urgency and benefits of these laws: "Microgrid technology is an indispensable way to make power outages less risky, shorter lived, and could even save lives when the worst happens, whether it’s wildfires or the Cascadia Earthquake." As per the Governor's Office, the new legislation focuses on removing bureaucratic barriers, fast-tracking the connection of microgrids to the main power infrastructure, thus delivering expedient electricity restoration and potential cost savings to consumers throughout Oregon.
Senator Lew Frederick (D-Portland) reflected on the intimate relationship between microgrids and local communities, saying, "Micro grids provide a real local connection with the energy needed by Oregon communities and a way to distribute it," as reported by the Governor's Office. This sentiment speaks to the essence of microgrid systems - localized, self-sufficient energy infrastructures capable of operating both dependently and independently from the larger electrical grid.
Underlining the significance of this legislative achievement, Dylan Kruse, president of Sustainable Northwest, declared, "These bills pave the way for clean energy innovation to support community resilience, energy independence, and cost savings across the state," as noted by the Governor's Office. With Oregon trailing behind, having no community-owned or operated microgrids, the newly signed laws represent a national frontier, opening avenues for communities to plan, build, and cherish their own microgrid systems—currently a rarity in a landscape dominated by utility, government, or private business ownership. Each microgrid can encompass a diverse range of power sources, with a leaning toward clean energy options such as solar, storage, microhydro, biomass, or wind.
