Implementing the Oregon Energy Strategy
Develop a Community Benefits Framework
Develop a community benefits framework at the Oregon Department of Energy that can be used as appropriate across the agency to address outreach and engagement, workforce needs, prioritizing environmental justice communities, and equitable practices (Cross-Cutting Action 12).
Federal uncertainty highlights the need for a formalized state community benefits framework that provides meaningful involvement with Environmental Justice communities as defined in HB 4077. Community Benefits Plans were required in many Inflation Reduction Act and Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act grant funded programs. Changes in federal policy will likely result in community benefits plans no longer being required or funded by the federal government.
A community benefits framework would provide a foundation to continue supporting and funding community benefits through the state. It would provide an opportunity for ODOE-administered projects/programs to learn more about community needs and interests as well as direct benefits through metrics and then develop an implementation plan that carries those benefits throughout the life of the project. It could serve as a starting point for broader consideration of how to incorporate community benefits considerations in programs across the state. ODOE commits to applying the Equity and Justice Framework in developing and implementing the community benefits framework.
Working with Oregon State University
Oregon State University students are conducting their capstone project to research what federal and state agencies have been doing to support community benefits for agency-led and supported projects, as well as for energy projects more broadly. The report is due to ODOE in June 2026.
This project will kick-off the development of a community benefits framework for ODOE’s internal use and help to determine next steps and look to answer:
What types of community benefits are currently being provided by clean energy projects and programs in Oregon, and what are community expectations regarding benefits?
What approaches have federal and state agencies outside of Oregon used to develop community benefits frameworks for clean energy development, and how do these frameworks vary in their design features and development processes?
Methods
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Researchers will identify and analyze community benefits plans, agreements, or frameworks implemented by 4-6 Oregon-based projects/agencies. Analysis will document and compare key features of these community benefits plans/agreements/frameworks, including community engagement, communication timelines, benefit types, provisions for success and monitoring, common setbacks and their resolutions, and internal implementation approaches and costs.
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Researchers will identify and analyze 5-10 community benefits plans/agreements/frameworks established by federal and state agencies outside of Oregon. Researchers will emphasize transferable frameworks, analyzing, and comparing similar key features identified above.
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Researchers will aim to conduct interviews with participants in community benefits plans/agreements/frameworks from a wide variety of backgrounds (for example, Tribal representatives, developers, community leaders, agency staff, nonprofit staff, etc.). These interviews will provide additional details about how these community benefits arrangements and frameworks were developed, as well as lessons learned from the process.