Implementing the Oregon Energy Strategy
Report on Siting and Permitting Large-Scale Electricity Infrastructure
Executive Order 25-29 directs Oregon agencies to streamline siting and permitting processes for clean energy projects, energy storage, and transmission infrastructure. In response, the ODOE’s Energy Facility Siting Division evaluated its statutory authorities, rules, and practices to identify opportunities for greater efficiency while maintaining strong protections for public health, communities, and natural resources.
Oregon’s centralized energy siting system is administered by the Energy Facility Siting Council (EFSC or Council) with staff support from ODOE’s Siting Division. While EFSC is the final decisionmaker on all proposed energy projects and amendments to approved energy projects, ODOE staff conducts the day-to-day work and coordination in order to make recommendations to EFSC about whether a proposal complies with applicable requirements. The system was designed to consolidate multiple state and local reviews into a single, standards-based, quasi-judicial process. This approach ensures consistency, transparency, and robust environmental and public health protections, and reduces duplication across agencies. However, as the scale and urgency of renewable energy and transmission development have grown, pressures on EFSC and the Siting Division have increased.
This report:
Highlights progress already made by ODOE and EFSC to improve and streamline the siting process, including restructuring EFSC’s rules; improving the organization of application elements; strengthening coordination with Tribes and agencies; enhancing public engagement tools; updating standards, including wildfire prevention requirements; and modernizing the amendment processes.
Identifies ongoing efforts and recommendations for additional changes that could further improve efficiency and streamline permitting while maintaining meaningful public participation and robust environmental and public health protections. These efforts include ongoing rulemaking, improved internal financial and task-tracking accountability, expanded use of digital and geospatial tools, and early-phase coordination with applicants and Tribes.
Describes new and updated permit streamlining recommendations developed by ODOE. The recommendations reflect input received from interested parties, Tribes, the public, and EFSC members during review of the draft report. The recommendations identify actions that ODOE, the Siting Division, the Legislature, and other agencies could implement to achieve further efficiencies within the Siting Program.
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Engagement
ODOE held a public comment period through March 20, 2026, on this report and the Report on Reducing Barriers to Clean Energy Deployment, and compiled the public comments received.
ODOE also held a comment period on the draft version of the report through July 24, 2026.
As required by Executive Order 25-29, ODOE brought the draft recommendations in the draft report to the EFSC for discussion at its June 26, 2026, Council meeting.
Meetings
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ODOE will hold a listening session on Monday, June 29, 2026, beginning at 4:30 p.m. This listening session is for this report and the Report on Reducing Barriers to Clean Energy Deployment.
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ODOE held two listening sessions on Tuesday, March 3, 2026, at 1 p.m. and 5 p.m.
View the presentation (same for both meetings)
1 p.m. Session
5 p.m. Session
We held the listening session but did not have external participants.