Program date: June 27, 2025
Air date: June 30, 2025
From the City Club of Eugene:
From data centers powering artificial intelligence to the mass deployment of electric cars and beyond, energy demand in the Pacific Northwest is expected to double in the next 20 years. How will the state meet this growing demand for energy, all while achieving ambitious climate goals, including an economy-wide 80% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and a 90% reduction in emissions from natural gas, liquid fuels, and propane by 2050? You’re in the right place to find out.
The Oregon Department of Energy is currently in the process of developing the Oregon Energy Strategy, which will evaluate benefits and challenges of different ways to achieve the state’s energy objectives, present policy recommendations, and reflect input from Oregonians who informed the Strategy.
Following public comment on the draft report, the Oregon Energy Strategy will be presented to the Governor and Legislature by November 2025 and, pursuant to State law, will account for the state’s energy policy objectives, including reliability, affordability, and its greenhouse gas emission targets.
In this program, ODOE Department officials Edith Bayer and Alan Zelenka provide an update on the development of the strategy, including sharing information and key takeaways from modeling performed to support the strategy indicating the opportunities and challenges associated with various pathways to meeting Oregon’s energy objectives.
There are many opportunities to share input and contribute throughout the development of the Oregon Energy Strategy. You can sign up to receive email updates, submit comments to the Oregon Energy Strategy Comment Portal, listen in on Oregon Energy Strategy Advisory Group and Working Group meetings, and last but certainly not least, come to the City Club Forum to hear from ODOE leaders and ask them questions about how the state is preparing to meet the needs of Oregonian homes and businesses.
The Oregon Department of Energy looks forward to hearing your questions and feedback about Oregon’s energy future.
Speakers:
Edith Bayer is the Energy Policy Team Lead at the Oregon Department of Energy, where she is leading work on developing a statewide Oregon Energy Strategy. Edith joined ODOE after five years at the International Energy Agency in Paris, where she led cooperation on energy efficiency with governments across Latin America. Before that, she spent nine years at the Regulatory Assistance Project in Vermont and Brussels, Belgium with a focus on electricity markets, utility regulation, and energy efficiency policy. Edith has a J.D. from New York University School of Law and a B.A. in Russian and Spanish from Tulane University. She also speaks fluent Polish and conversational French. In her spare time, you can find her biking around town, hiking, and enjoying time with her family.
Alan Zelenka is the Assistant Director for Planning and Innovation at the Oregon Department of Energy. His team works on energy efficiency, renewable resources, sustainable transportation, climate change issues, and energy planning – including the Oregon State Energy Strategy. Before joining ODOE he was the Energy Services Leader for a consulting firm, Kennedy/Jenks Consultants, for over 10 years. Prior to that Alan worked at Emerald PUD in Eugene for over 21 years, where he was the Power Manager, Governmental Affairs, and Energy Efficiency Program Manager. Alan is a former president and board member of the Eugene City Club. Alan is in his fifth term as a Eugene City Councilor, representing the neighborhoods around the UO. Alan graduated with a degree in political-economy from UC Berkeley, and received his master’s degree in energy planning and policy from the University of Oregon.
About the City Club of Eugene:
The mission of the City Club of Eugene is to build community vision through open inquiry. The Club explores a wide range of significant local, state, and national issues and helps to formulate new approaches and solutions to problems. Membership is open to all, and Club members have a direct influence on public policy by discussing issues of concern with elected officials and other policy makers. The City Club’s mailing address is PO Box 12084, Eugene, OR 97440, and its website is cityclubofeugene.org.
Video and Broadcast
This program will be live streamed, and the videotape will be made available on the City Club of Eugene’s Facebook page and You Tube Channel, in addition to our website. It will be broadcast on Monday, June 30, at 7:00 p.m., on KLCC 89.7 FM.
Contact: For more information, visit CityClubOfEugene.org.