The Clean Grid Explained: Key Terms for Understanding How Electricity Moves in Oregon

The Clean Grid Explained: Key Terms for Understanding How Electricity Moves in Oregon

Clean energy is the backbone for reaching our climate goals and helping to cut climate pollution in buildings, transportation, and industry. In the upcoming 2025 legislative session, OEC will collaborate with partners to keep moving forward on our clean energy goals. As climate-fueled disasters like wildfires, scorching heat, and drought in our own backyard become increasingly hard to ignore, it's more important than ever that we accelerate our progress.

Enter: The electricity grid. You've probably heard the term - though you're not alone if you don't know what it really means. Broadly speaking, the grid is the entire interconnected system that moves electricity from where it is made to where it is used. It powers everything around us - from our homes and places of work, to high-tech manufacturing, to personal and citywide transit systems.

However, Oregon's energy system is in desperate need of cleaning up - and upgrading. We need to continue to transition off burning coal and natural gas, and develop more renewable energy sources while also modernizing the grid. Achieving Oregon's commitment to 100% clean energy will require a strong, updated grid that's equipped to power the state with renewables like wind and solar.

Some 20,000 miles of power lines in Oregon alone are also due to be restrung; it's the perfect opportunity to add energy-carrying capacity to our grid to make better use of the infrastructure we already have. More transmission networks will also need to be built in order to meet rising energy demands, though who pays for them and how matters. Our region also needs different ways of managing and coordinating power delivery so that the cleanest energy is used at the right times and places. As always, it is also crucial that we cut energy waste and maintain strong energy efficiency programs and standards.

Cleaning up the grid alone can get us halfway to our emission reduction goals. Doing this will also take community engagement, technical expertise, and strong collaboration between our interconnected Western states. OEC is collaborating with other thought leaders on clean energy policy, and will continue to prioritize the clean grid transition - during the upcoming legislative session and beyond.

Terms to Know:

Transmission Lines
Higher voltage lines that carry large quantities of power over longer distances

Distribution Lines
Medium and lower voltage lines that carry power from transformers to buildings and businesses

Transmission Authority
Regional body that coordinates transmission infrastructure planning and development. Oregon does not currently have a Regional Transmission Authority.

Western Interconnection
The electric grid that connects Oregon to 11 U.S. states and part of Canada and Mexico. This network is why working together is a must!

Generating Site
The source of the grid's energy - right now 47% fossil fuels. We must accelerate moving to renewable energy sources.

Just Transition
An equitable transition toward a renewable energy system that takes into account job availability, energy supply security, and how costs are distributed - among other things.

Oregon Clean Grid Collaborative
Clean grid-focused coalition founded by OEC and 10+ partner organizations across the state. Launched the first annual Oregon Clean Grid Summit last year!

Renewable Energy Sources
Energy sources that don't run out like fossil fuels do - including solar, wind, hydro, and more.

Storage
Systems that store energy (e.g. wind farm facilities or batteries), and save it for future use. The technology is an increasingly important piece of the puzzle for resiliency and making the best use of renewables like solar and wind.

Transformer
A device that moves electricity through different voltage levels. The efficiency with which we can transfer energy from point A to point B relies on the quality of our transformers.