GEI News and Events

GEI’s Interim Director and Staff Attorney, Carra Sahler, served as a resource on two climate-related Oregonian stories.

Interested in working with GEI to develop and advocate for strategic climate policy reform and implementation? Check out our job posting here!

GEI and Breach Collective published Regulating Natural Gas in Oregon’s Buildings: A Guide for Local Governments. The Guide offers ten strategies, and the legal feasibility of each, available to local governments in Oregon who seek to curb or prevent natural gas (methane) emissions.

To watch the one hour webinar, click here.

While Oregon has made significant progress, the state is not on track to achieve its climate targets. GEI has developed an economy-wide climate policy roadmap for Oregon that identifies a suite of laws and policies that will enable the state to achieve its climate goals in an equitable and economical manner.

It includes key policies for reducing transportation sector emissions, reducing electricity sector emissions, building emissions, industrial sector emissions, and cross-sector emissions. 

Drafted by Amy Schlusser and Caroline Cilek, the report “is intended to reflect a balanced climate policy approach that is ambitious, cost-effective, equitable, and achievable.”  

To view the full suite of policies included in our decarbonization policy pathway, we encourage readers to explore our pathway within the EPS model. Energy Policy Solutions, GEI Oregon Decarbonization Policy Pathway,https://oregon.energypolicy.solutions/scenarios/run?locale=en&id=xjggfr3z. The link will launch the Oregon EPS and download the GEI pathway.

Professor Melissa Powers is recognized by peers as preeminent in the field of environmental law.

With the transportation sector rapidly shifting to electric vehicles, pressure is increasing in many states to reduce reliance on gas tax revenues as the primary source of highway funding. This impetus is particularly pronounced in Oregon, where the state’s reliance on gas taxes conflicts with the state’s ambitious climate goals. Unfortunately, Oregon’s constitution constrains the state’s authority to raise and spend motor vehicle-related revenues. GEI’s Building Bridges report provides a comprehensive analysis of article IX, section 3a of the Oregon Constitution and the restrictions it places on raising and using highway funds. The report explains how Oregon’s constitutional restrictions limit available pathways to raise revenue to advance equitable transportation decarbonization and respond to shifting transportation needs in Oregon. The report also provides a detailed legal analysis of the Oregon Supreme Court’s interpretations of the constitutional restrictions on and permissible uses of highway funds.

The Green Energy Institute (GEI) and Earthjustice celebrate victory while representing climate, environmental justice, and community-led social justice organizations in proceeding by Oregon regulators reviewing NW Natural’s request to raise gas bills.

GEI Staff Attorney Carra Sahler partnered with Earthjustice attorneys to represent a coalition of environmental and community-based organizations who intervened to challenge NW Natural’s proposed general rate revision.

Thanks to the new Energy Policy Simulator (EPS) released by Energy Innovation, Oregon now has an incredibly useful modeling tool for policymakers to compare the outcomes and impacts from a wide variety of climate and energy policies. Try the tool here!

Amy Schlusser JD ’13 LLM ’14 is named as commissioner with the influential state environmental body that oversees the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ).

To watch the one hour and fifteen minute presentation, click here.