Portland's Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) program is gearing up for its 2026 iteration with some crucial recommendations lined up, aimed at aligning with state environmental quality measures. According to an update from the Bureau of Planning and Sustainability (BPS), the RFS Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) has concluded its assessment and furnished insights for the program's upcoming phase.
BPS Director Eric Engstrom, after pondering the advisory committee's counsel and public commentary, has signaled a green light to implement the RFS code without adjustments, as observed in the recent announcement. Engstrom acknowledged the advice to bring the City's carbon intensity benchmarks into line with the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality's revamped OR-GREET model, which is on course for new carbon intensity certifications this winter, and this step indicates a move towards ensuring Portland’s fuel standards are consistent with broader state objectives.
Moving ahead, the BPS is expected to not just reevaluate but tweak the RFS administrative rules this coming winter. This reformation is in response to Portland's environmental strategy, bolstered by Director Engstrom's directive that the RFS TAC should keep meeting on a quarterly basis or as the demand arises, to monitor how market variables like the prices and supply dynamics of renewable fuels are playing out with respect to public interests, if sudden market shifts such as diesel price hikes occur, city authorities have contingency measures in hand, including the option to pause program requirements under emergency rules.
With the City leadership, including Mayor Wilson and Deputy City Administrator Donnie Oliveira, having signed off on BPS’s propositions, it’s now just a matter of time until the administrative cogs turn and these plans crystallize into action. Come February 15, 2026, BPS is slated to present a full report to the City Council, keeping them abreast of how the incorporation of the OR-GREET model tweaks will manifest within the framework of the RFS program’s execution, a step that could potentially mark a significant shift in how renewable fuels are integrated into Portland’s energy matrix.
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