Oregon's climate cost concerns
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Illustration: Gabriella Turrisi/Axios
Oregon is getting hotter for everyone, according to a new report, but it's not affecting all Oregonians equally.
Why it matters: The sixth Oregon Climate Assessment was released last week, finding that the state has warmed by 2.2° over the last century, which advocates say impacts low-income communities the hardest.
The big picture: As more and more Oregonians electrify their home appliances — especially with electric heat pumps, which can provide both heating and cooling — electric utility rates have risen nearly 50% over the past five years.
What they're saying: "That gap between what people are making and what they can afford for utilities is just getting greater and greater," said Cheyenne Holliday, the advocacy manager with Verde, a Portland-based nonprofit that focuses on climate action and environmental justice.
By the numbers: Without "considerable reductions" in greenhouse gas emissions, the report said, we can expect more warming in the coming years.
- Oregon is expected to warm by 5° by 2074 and 7.6° by 2100 without meaningful reductions to climate-warming gases.
- Of the last 24 years, 18 have seen below-average precipitation and 21 have seen average temperatures higher than normal, exacerbating long-running droughts in parts of the state, the report found.
- Snowpack in the Cascades could drop by as much as 50% by the end of the century, with more precipitation falling as rain as temperatures rise.
What they're doing: Verde has been one of several nonprofits that has helped distribute heat pumps to the people who need them most.
- The organization is also preparing to "flip the switch" on a new community solar site in NE Portland's Cully neighborhood, which will help offset utility costs for low-income residents, with plans to bring another one online later this year.
Zoom out: Erica Fleishman, director of the Oregon Climate Change Research Institute, which produced the report, said the assessment itself is part of the state's commitment to acting on climate and underscores that "mitigating and preparing for climate change is a priority for the state of Oregon."
The bottom line: Holliday said the report was well-timed, just ahead of the beginning of Oregon's legislative session, which starts next week.
- "It's an extremely useful tool for community members, advocates and decision-makers to make informed, long-term decisions about how we're going to handle the climate crisis," she said in a written statement.