Union, Baker & Mahler Counties receive $50,000 dollars for energy resilience planning

By on Thursday, March 20th, 2025 in More Top Stories Northeastern Oregon News

EASTERN OREGON – The Oregon Department of Energy (ODOE) recently announced the 2025 recipients of the County Energy Resilience Grant Program. Among the 19 counties that applied, all will receive $50,000 dollars to help develop a local energy resilience plan, including Union, Baker, and Malheur Counties. As written by the ODOE in a recent release:

“Energy resilience plans – and the actions to implement them – will strengthen the ability of a community to maintain or quickly recover the energy systems needed to support critical public services during disruptions to the state’s larger energy systems. Strengthening local energy resilience is fast becoming a priority as Oregon has experienced more extreme weather events in recent years like ice storms and extreme heat, as well as public power safety shutoffs during potential wildfire conditions. Local energy resilience will also support communities in the event of a Cascadia Subduction Zone earthquake.”

The full list of recipients is as follows:

  • Benton
  • Clatsop
  • Columbia
  • Grant
  • Harney
  • Malheur
  • Lake
  • Lane
  • Tillamook
  • Union
  • Wheeler
  • Cohort: Hood River, Gilliam, Sherman, Wasco
  • Cohort: Crook, Deschutes, Jefferson

The program itself was created in 2023 with the passing of house bill 3630, with a possible extension to the program being proposed through House Bill 3171 in the 2025 regular session. 

Among Eastern Oregon recipients, Union County officially moved forward with the grant on March 19. County Emergency Manager Nick Vora presented the grant to commissioners along with a Contract for Services for the Oregon Trail Electric Cooperative to develop the plan. Both the grant and contract proposal were approved by commissioners.

When further developed, the resilience plan will identify critical concerns and risks in the local electric grid (such as vulnerabilities to natural disasters) and develop ideas to improve grid resilience. Completed resilience plans are due back to the ODOE by August 1st.