The Oregon Clean Grid Collaborative (OCGC) invites you to join us for the 2026 Grid Summit, taking place Monday May 18th, from 9:00am to 1:30pm at the Willamette Heritage Center in Salem. 

Oregon’s electrical grid is at a critical moment. Rapid load growth from electrification, data centers, and economic development is happening at the same time we’re working to meet our clean energy goals, all on a transmission system that is already at or nearing capacity. While Oregon has made progress towards meeting its clean energy targets and preparing for future energy demand, much work remains. Decisions made over the next several years will shape whether the state can deliver reliable, affordable, clean energy to households and businesses— and capture the full economic and climate benefits of that transition.

Summit Agenda

Session 1: What’s at Stake: Competing Priorities on the Grid

Ground the conversation in real-world impacts and tradeoffs across sectors, including load growth pressures, affordability and ratepayer impacts, utility system constraints, and workforce and business perspectives. 

Moderator: Tim Miller, Oregon Business for Climate

Panelists:

• Andrew Beyer, EC Electric

• Bob Jenks, Oregon Citizens’ Utility Board

• Kristen Sheeran, Portland General Electric

• Shanna Brownstein, GridCARE

• Travis Eri, IBEW Local 125

Session 2: What the Western Grid Needs, and State Responses

Zoom out to the regional level, focusing on what the Western grid needs and how states are responding, including regional studies and projected system needs, policy trends across the West, and Tribal perspectives and governance considerations. 

Moderator: Zachariah Baker, NW Energy Coalition

Panelists:

• Donald Williams, From the Light Consulting 

• Emily Moore, Sightline Institute

• Sarah Edmonds, Western Power Pool 

Session 3: From Plans to Power: Building Momentum Toward a Reliable, Affordable Grid

Bring the conversation back to Oregon, focusing on implementation and legislative opportunities, including actions already underway, where gaps remain, and key decisions ahead. 

Moderator: Joshua Basofin, Climate Solutions

Panelists:

• Beth Doglio, Washington State Representative

• Dan Lloyd, Grid United

• Jason Sierman, Oregon Department of Energy

• Les Perkins, Oregon Public Utility Commission

• Mark Gamba, Oregon State Representative

More about the Oregon Clean Grid Collaborative

Founded in 2023, OCGC is a coalition of environmental justice, ratepayer, conservation, labor, and clean energy advocates who are committed to ensuring that Oregon transitions quickly, efficiently, and equitably to clean energy. Specifically, OCGC seeks to ensure that grid planning, governance, markets, and investments are aligned to maximize the power of the grid and prioritize reliability; accelerate grid decarbonization; equitably, affordably, and reliably deliver clean energy resources to end users; support meaningful economic development that prioritizes family-wage job creation in Oregon; and minimize impacts to environmental and cultural resources.