Oregon Coal Share Falls to 8% in 2024
The Oregon Department of Energy's Biennial Energy Report documents a continuing shift toward renewable sources in the state's energy mix.
Updated on Nov. 15, 2026 in Energy
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The Oregon Department of Energy released its Biennial Energy Report last week, using the most recent available data from 2024. The report shows coal's share of the state's energy mix fell from 28% in 2016 to about 8% in 2024.
Why it matters
The decline reflects a state law enacted in 2021 requiring utilities to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 and 2035. The shift changes how Oregon generates and consumes power as demand from commercial users, including data centers, continues to grow.
Solar use increased eighteenfold between 2014 and 2024, while the commercial share of energy consumption, including data centers, rose from 16% in 2022 to 20% in 2024. The report does not state how these shares will change in future years.
The players
Oregon Department of Energy
The state agency responsible for energy policy, planning and data reporting in Oregon, which publishes the Biennial Energy Report.
The details
Hydropower provides nearly 34% of Oregon's power, while transportation accounts for more than a third of the state's energy consumption and industry accounts for 24%. The Biennial Energy Report, released last week by the Oregon Department of Energy, compiles these figures from 2024 data.
Timeline
2014: Solar use in Oregon begins a period of eighteenfold growth through 2024.
2016: Coal supplies 28% of Oregon's energy mix.
2021: State law mandates utility greenhouse gas reductions by 2030 and 2035.
2022: Commercial energy use accounts for 16% of statewide consumption.
2024: Coal falls to about 8% and commercial use reaches a record 20%.
Roadmap
Oregon's coal share falling from 28% in 2016 to about 8% in 2024 tracks the emissions targets set by the state's 2021 law for utilities, which require reductions by 2030 and 2035. The continued expansion of solar and commercial demand will test whether the state's power mix can keep moving in that direction.
Oregon residents may see changes in their electricity sources as coal declines and solar expands, though the report does not address rate impacts. The 21% share of out-of-state electricity imports means the state's power supply depends partly on sources outside its borders.
The takeaway
Oregon's energy future depends on how its mix of hydropower, renewables, imports and commercial demand changes together. Tracking the biennial reports offers a clear view of that progress.
Further reading
For more on how states are changing their power supply, see Energy coverage on Wisevoter.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Ashland News - Independent, Nonprofit, Community News.
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