Climate Action

Climate Change is Here 

Hotter temperatures, drought, wildfires, smoke, ocean acidification, and decreased mountain snowpack. It is caused by increased pollution in the air that traps heat in the atmosphere. Carbon dioxide is the primary pollutant responsible for climate change and is released due to human activity, such as burning of oil, fuel, and natural gas; most electricity generation; and production of food and goods. Understanding the areas of greatest risk helped us develop a roadmap for our actions to reduce our impact and adapt to changes that are already here.

From Planning to Action 

In February 2020 the Lane County Board of Commissioners passed a resolution addressing the climate crisis. The resolution required Lane County to form a Climate Advisory Committee to develop the following
CLIMATE ACTION PLANS:

Phase 1: Internal Operations Climate Action Plan - 2021

Phase 2: Greenhouse Gas Reduction Plan

Phase 3: Climate Adaption and Resilience Plan


These plans are documents that Lane County is using to prioritize actions to address climate change. Upon adoption of the final plan in December 2022, the Board of County Commissioners disbanded the Climate Advisory Committee and directed staff to focus on implementing the Climate Action Plans.

What are we doing now?

Passage of the federal Inflation Reduction Act and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is making billions of dollars available for states, Tribes, local governments, and public and private entities to tackle climate change. Lane County staff are working to identify opportunities to support our implementation efforts. We know that we are stronger together and staff is also leading and participating in various collaborative efforts to strengthen our impact. One of these efforts is the Lane Regional Resiliency Collaborative. Staff are also meeting regularly internally to implement actions in the Internal Operations Climate Action Plan, such as developing climate friendly procurement requirements, and adopting a Climate lens for the County’s Capital Improvement Plan. Click here for an update on climate action work before the Lane County Board of Commissioners on July 26, 2024. Lane County convenes a monthly meeting with external partners such as the City of Eugene, LRAPA, EWEB and the University of Oregon to coordinate climate action efforts.

Contact us if you are interested in collaborating on a grant opportunity.

Grants Submitted

Since January 2023, Lane County staff have submitted applications for the following climate related state and federal funding opportunities to support implementation of the Climate Action Plan:

Grant Name

Applied on

Amount Requested

Awarded?

Oregon State Fire Marshal’s office Firewise Grant

1/31/2023

$500,000

Yes

EPA EJG2G Grant – LRAPA Grant application with support from Public Health

4/14/2023

$997,622

Yes

DOT Charging and Fueling Infrastructure Grant Round 1

6/13/2023

$15,000,000

No

DOT Ride and Drive Electric Letter of Interest

6/15/2023

$1,500,000

No

USDA Food Waste Reduction Grant

6/15/2023

$400,000

Yes

DOE Battery Recycling Grant

8/13/2023

$1,019,632

Yes

DOT PROTECT Grant – Transportation Resilience

8/18/2023

$5,400,000

Yes

FEMA Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) - Lane County Microgrid and Battery Energy Storage Systems – Submitted for Pacific Northwest Generating Cooperative, Consumers Power Inc, and Lane Electric Cooperative

10/16/2023

$21,000,000

No

DOE Communities LEAP – Oakridge Renewable Energy

12/15/2023

$50,000

Yes

FEMA BRIC – Goshen Leachate Pipeline

2/27/2024

$1,500,000

No

EPA Community Change Grant – Resilience Hubs

3/1/2024

$19,999,863

Yes

EPA Energy Efficiency Community Block Grant – Building Energy Efficiency

4/30/2024

$79,830

Yes

OREM Resilience Hub Grant

4/30/2024

$50,000

No

DOE Clean Energy to Communities Grant

6/14/2024

$500,000

Yes

EWEB Utility Incentives for LED Lighting Project

6/2024

$199,512

Yes

ODOT Community Charging Rebate program

7-8/2023

$56,900

Yes

EWEB Electric mobility grant for EV Charging Stations

7/2022

$50,000

Yes

EPUD Green Grant award for Mt. Pisgah EV charger

10/2020

$24,000

Yes

EWEB Smart Charge Rebate Program

7/2023

$10,500

Yes

ODOE County Energy Resilience Non-Competitive Grant

To Be Submitted in August

$50,000

Pending

This information is current as of 7/16/2024. We will keep this table updated with additional grant applications we submit and awards we receive.