Climate Action Plan 2.0 Dashboard

Electrical Energy Consumed

Eugene’s electric utility, Eugene Water and Electric Board (EWEB) serves almost all of Eugene’s electrical needs.  EWEB buys most of its power from the Bonneville Power Authority which operates the federally owned dams as well as a few nuclear power plants in the region.  Eugene Water and Electric Board also has several other sources including additional hydropower, wind farms, solar, and biomass.  EWEB delivers power that is almost 80 percent carbon-free and 90 percent renewable.  The graph below shows that EWEB provides a relatively consistent amount of energy to the community, due in part to the utility’s commitment to conservation. The energy provided is measured in Mega Watt hours (MWh). 

Figure 5. 

Source: EWEB

Related goal: N/A

Related City policy or CAP2.0 Actions:

Action B12 EWEB’s commitment to conservation includes meeting all-new baseload growth through acquiring conservation rather than new energy resources.  Each year, the utility targets between 1.4 and 1.6 MW for acquisition, dedicating appropriate budget and human resources to those targets. 

Carbon Emissions per Megawatt Hour (Emissions Factor)

Eugene’s local electricity is 19 times less carbon-intensive than the regional average.

Greenhouse gas emissions that come from electricity can be calculated using two methods – Location-Based and Market-Based accounting.  In Eugene, the Location-based method is representative of the Northwest Power Pool's (NWPP) regional average greenhouse gas emission impacts of electricity used. Alternatively, the Market-based method represents the average greenhouse gas emission impacts of electricity that has been purposefully chosen via EWEB’s supply contracts. 

Both methods are useful for different purposes; together, they provide fuller, more transparent documentation and assessment of risks, opportunities, and changes to emissions from electricity supply over time. While Eugene alone may not be able to reduce the NWPP emissions impacts to zero, using both accounting methods provides a more robust picture of how local contracts can go farther in reducing local emissions. 

The graph below shows the carbon emissions per megawatt-hour of electricity produced using both the Location-Based and Market-Based accounting methods for 2017 - 2021.  The graph shows that Eugene’s market-based emissions are much less carbon-intensive than the regional NWPP average, about 5% of the Northwest Power Pool.  This is because EWEB, as a public utility, predominantly contracts with Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) whose generation supply is largely from low-carbon, hydroelectric and nuclear resources, and EWEB’s owned, low carbon resources which include hydro and wind.  

Figure 6.

Natural Gas Energy Consumed

Eugene’s residential gas usage has increased by 1.8% over the last decade, while commercial usage has increased by less than 0.07%. In 2019, natural gas emissions represented 37% of its total local fossil fuel use. Natural gas usage is measured in thousands of Metric Million British Thermal Units (MMBTU) per year. CO₂ emissions are measured in thousands of Metric Tons (MT CO₂e).

Figure 7.

Source: Northwest Natural/City of Eugene 2019 GHG Inventory

Figure 8.

Related goals:  N/A

Related City policy or CAP2.0 Actions:

• Action B1 COE and NWN are currently working on a new franchise agreement with the intention to decrease community-wide emissions associated with natural gas. The agreement is expected to be completed in late 2020. Details will be added to Eugene’s list of climate commitments once the agreement is finalized.
• Action B14 NWN Smart Energy Program allows customers to purchase carbon offsets equal to the amount of carbon dioxide created by their natural gas use. 
• Action B15 NWN partners with the ETO to offer energy efficiency programs to natural gas customers. 
• Action B16 In order to produce Renewable Natural Gas (RNG), Metropolitan Wastewater Management Commission (MWMC) is building biogas purification facilities and a pipeline to connect to NW Natural’s utility grid. Construction is expected to begin in 2020 with target completion in 2021.

Energy-Efficient Projects

One way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from energy use is to improve energy efficiency within buildings. This is especially true for energy that uses fossil fuels. Since 2017, the majority of energy efficiency projects have been in the residential sector, with only a handful in commercial and industrial sectors.

Figure 9.

Data source: EWEB

The impact of energy savings disproportionately comes from the manufacturing and commercial side. That is because these projects are much larger and involve much heavier energy use than residential projects. This is true for both electricity and natural gas. CO₂ emissions are measured in Metric Tons (MT CO₂e). The below line graph demonstrates CO₂ savings from energy efficiency projects using electricity from 2017-2022. The overlaid bar graph comparatively demonstrates electricity savings from efficiency projects in varying sectors.

Figure 10.

Data Source: EWEB

Since 2010 (the baseline year for the City of Eugene CAP 2.0) through 2022, EWEB conservation and efficiency programs have achieved a cumulative energy savings of approximately 1,208,000 MWhs, representing 378,000 metric tons of avoided carbon emissions, averaging 28,128 MTCO2e/year during that period. That’s enough energy to power over 70,000 typical all-electric single family homes for a year!

Similar to Figure 10, the bar graph below demonstrates natural gas savings in therms due to energy efficiency projects from 2003 to 2020. This graph shows that while there are natural gas energy efficiency projects occurring across sectors, the most emissions savings come from commercial and industrial projects. 

Figure 11.

Data Source: Energy Trust of Oregon

Related CAP2.0 Actions:

• Action B11 EWEB and NWN limited income assistance programs and energy conservation education programs, which provide eligible customers with rebates and incentives to lower and pay their bills. 
• Action B12 EWEB’s commitment to conservation includes meeting all new baseload growth through acquiring conservation rather than new energy resources.  Each year, the utility targets between 1.4 and 1.6 MW for acquisition, dedicating appropriate budget and human resources to those targets. 
• Action B13 Once fully deployed, EWEB’s advanced metering program will facilitate demand-side management programs with customers to reduce energy use during peak periods. EWEB has begun consumer education on the value of reducing energy use during peak periods and plans to develop programs to help consumers shift energy use off-peak through a combination of technology and pricing signals.

Smart Energy Program Participation

Northwest Natural’s Smart Energy Program is a voluntary carbon offset program that allows customers to offset the CO2e emissions from their natural gas use. In 2020, customers offset about 15,081 MT CO2e or about 7% of natural gas emissions emitted within Eugene. There are over 5,000 total participants in the Smart Energy program, both across residents and commercial sectors. The graph below shows that a little more than 20% of residential customers participate in the program and about 0.4% of commercial and industrial and commercial customers participate.  

Figure 12.

Figure 13.

Source: Northwest Natural

 Related goals:  N/A

Related CAP2.0 Actions: 

Action B14 NWN Smart Energy Program allows customers to purchase carbon offsets equal to the amount of carbon dioxide created by their natural gas use.

Percent Waste Recovered

Lane county has set a goal of recovering (recycling) 63% of the waste it generates. The percent of waste recovered has steadily increased at an average rate of 1.3% a year to a high of 54% in 2018.

Figure 14.

Source: Lane County

Related Goals:  Lane County’s Solid Waste Master Plan includes a goal to increase recovery and recycling to 63% by the year 2025.

Related CAP2.0 Actions:

• Action F9 Lane County to develop improved county-wide data collection and reporting system to assess effectiveness of programs and policies, e.g. participation rates of yard debris, commercial, food waste and multifamily recycling programs by city.
• Action F10 Lane County plans to convene community partners to explore options related to the development of a waste processing facility to divert organics from the waste stream toward an anaerobic digestion/ biogas facility.
• Action F11 Lane County to Perform annual audits of Material Recovery Facilities (MRF) to assess performance and maximize recovery.
• Action F12 Lane County to support product stewardship and extended producer responsibility legislation and policy creation at state and federal level.
• Action F13 Lane County to improve Multifamily recycling access. Prepare for state rule change that all multi- family tenants have opportunity to recycle by 2025.
• Action F14 Lane County to increase Accessibility for non-English speakers in all program functions, materials and outreach.
• Action F15 Lane County to develop business waste prevention, buy recycled campaigns focused on high impact material types or business sectors.

Eugene is already experiencing the effects of climate change including unprecedented heat, drought, wildfires, etc.  As we work to mitigate greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change, we also need to adapt to these current changes, increasing our resiliency. 

When thinking about resiliency, the City of Eugene wants to answer the questions:

• What natural hazards are likely to impact our community and what is the level of risk?
• Who is most vulnerable to these impacts? 
• Applying triple bottom line analysis, how do we prioritize and create a plan to equitably minimize these risks?
• What funding is needed to make this plan happen?

The following are current areas the City of Eugene is using to measure added resiliency in our community.

Tree Canopy Coverage

Tree canopy cover is the amount of ground that is covered by trees if you are looking from above. You could measure the same thing by lying on the ground and looking up. Increasing tree canopy cover decreases storm surge, increases air quality, and moderates temperatures. It has also been shown to have health benefits such as decreased asthma, obesity, and depression. As climate change increases the frequency of heavy rains in the winter and temperatures in the summer, trees will be a crucial part of keeping Eugene comfortable and sustainable.

The City’s goal is 30 percent tree canopy coverage by 2030.  In 2021, Eugene’s Tree Canopy cover was 22 percent.  More data about the details of Eugene’s tree canopy cover are expected in early 2022.  This website will be updated with a link when those data are available.

Source: Eugene Urban Forestry

Related Goal: 30% Canopy Coverage by 2030

Related CAP2.0 Actions:

• Action R11 COE to increase average city-wide urban tree canopy to 30%, the ideal for a community our size. Eugene currently has ~23% average tree canopy cover. Despite a steady decline over the last decade, the trend can be reversed with a focused replanting investment, infill program, stronger tree preservation, and more tree planting on both public and private property. Increase canopy coverage by 3% in years 1-5 and 7% in years 5-10. Monitor progress annually.
• Action R12 COE to track and work to maximize Ecosystem Services benefits of the urban forest. Establish baselines in 2020. Annually assess performance utilizing inventory and remote sensing data and tools such as i-Tree and Canopy Analytics to capture incremental progress, trends, and outcomes after 10-years. Report on an annual basis to ensure the replacement of trees with future-proof varieties that will thrive under the new conditions.
• Action R13 COE to develop an updated Urban Forest Management Plan that clearly identifies the baseline conditions and trends, future goals, timelines, roles and responsibilities for different stakeholders, and general performance measures. Plan implementation will begin by July 2021.
• Action R14 In 2019, COE was on a 15-year pruning cycle pace. Maximize the health of mature street trees and minimize loss by solidifying a best management practice 10-year pruning cycle by 2025 and maintaining it as canopy coverage increases. Create a dashboard that tracks performance in real-time.

Trees Planted

The City of Eugene Parks and Open Space Division, Public Works Engineering, and Urban Forestry help to offset emissions associated with construction by planting trees in the public right-of-way (street trees) and in City-owned parks and natural areas. When planting trees, staff consider where there is dedicated funding and management authority, responsibility, and legal requirements.  This is so the City can maximize the most important community tree benefits that make our community more resilient (like improving the urban heat island situation, air, and water quality, noise levels, wildlife habitat, and helping to promote active transportation and commerce). Staff also use environmental justice tools to prioritize underserved communities with lower canopy stocks.  Most of the city’s tree planting is planning-based, but some are request-based.

As the City makes more progress on building canopy coverage, strategies for managing and adding trees on private property will be explored more.

Figure 15.

Source: Eugene Urban Forestry

Related Goal: 30% Canopy Coverage by 2030

Related CAP2.0 Actions:

• Action R15 Build on the momentum of the successful 2,021 for 2021 tree planting initiative by establishing a long-term regional collaboration and community engagement campaign to encourage planting on private property, including an annual tree giveaway.
• Action R16 Ensure the health of newly planted public trees by enhancing soil standards and including biochar specifications in all public tree planting and Green Infrastructure projects by 2022. Establish a baseline and monitor the health of newly planted trees throughout the establishment period to measure success.

Water Stations/Emergency Power stations

In the event of an emergency that disrupts water supply, an emergency supply of clean water is crucial. EWEB installed its first emergency water station in 2018 at Bethel School. There are currently 4 stations throughout Eugene, with plans for two more additional sites, near Churchill Highschool and near Roosevelt Middle School. The map below shows the location of current water stations at

• Prairie Mountain School - 5305 Royal Ave.
• Howard Elementary School - 700 Howard Ave.
• Eugene Science Center - 2300 Leo Harris Parkway
• Lane Events Center/Fairgrounds - 796 W 13th Ave.
• Sheldon Fire Station - 2435 Willakenzie Rd.

(Map courtesy of EWEB)

Figure 16.

Residents who may need emergency power for medical devices during an outage are encouraged to secure a backup power source from their medical provider. EWEB offers a financial support program for such cases. EWEB also offers a financing program for customers to buy their own backup generators.

Source: EWEB

Related Goals: N/A

Related CAP2.0 Actions:

Action R20 EWEB is installing emergency water stations at schools and public spaces around the region, with a goal to have at least five stations around the community. There are three stations that are operational and two more that are now under development with completion slated for the end of 2020. A new site on City property in south Eugene is now under exploration as a potential sixth emergency water station.

CERT Training

An important part of disaster preparedness is having community members trained to help themselves and others in the event of a disaster. Eugene provides two such training through the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) program.

Figure 17.

CERT offers a one-day basic training program and a more intensive 20-hour program. Eugene has trained more than 10,000 community members through the one-day training since 2013 and more than 1,500 community members in the intensive program.  Learn more about the CERT program here.

Figure 18.

Source: City of Eugene CERT Program

Related Goals: N/A

Related CAP2.0 Actions:

Action R7 COE to continue to sponsor the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training to citizens within the Eugene/Springfield metropolitan area. CERT trains citizens to be prepared to respond to emergency situations within their communities.