Corvallis Home Energy Score Proposed Ordinance

A Home Energy Score policy in Corvallis would require that an on-site home energy efficiency assessment be conducted prior to listing a home for sale. The typical home energy efficiency assessment costs approximately $150-200 and is conducted by a certified home energy assessor. The result of a home energy assessment is a home energy performance report, which contains the home energy score and other energy-related information pertaining to the home. The program would educate homeowners on future energy costs and facilitate targeted energy-saving improvements. The intended outcomes of this program would be to reduce the amount of energy required to heat and cool impacted homes by identifying opportunities for improvements. Reducing home energy use would reduce carbon emissions and energy costs associated with impacted homes. The Home Energy Score policy would be similar to those already in place in the Cities of Portland, Milwaukie, and Hillsboro.

History of the Home Energy Score Policy in Corvallis

From March 2017 through May 2021, the Energy Action Team of the Corvallis Sustainability Coalition developed the Corvallis Home Energy Score policy proposal, engaged policy experts, and gathered feedback across the community. At their meeting held on May 26, 2021, the CAAB received an update on the Home Energy Score. CAAB recommended this project move forward and assigned a work group. The work group presented the Home Energy Score proposal to the CAAB at their October 11, 2021 meeting, with an opportunity for the community to provide input on the program. At that meeting, CAAB voted to have staff present the proposal to City Council for feedback on next steps for an HES ordinance. The Home Energy Score was presented to the Corvallis City Council in a work session on January 20th. At that meeting, Councilors showed support for the program and were in favor of staff preparing a detailed Home Energy Score ordinance and formalizing a proposal for implementation and program administration.

On June 21, 2022, staff presented the ordinance to City Council and Council voted 5-4 in favor of the policy. Because the vote was not unanimous, the ordinance must return to Council for a second reading and vote, per Oregon law. The second reading is scheduled to take place on September 6, 2022. If Council votes in favor of the ordinance, it will become law some time in 2023. For more information about Council discussion on the policy, please see follow the links to select Council minutes below.

June 21, 2022. First reading of the HES ordinance.   Minutes   Video

July 5, 2022. Originally scheduled second reading of the HES ordinance. The second reading was tabled and moved to September 6 during this meeting.   Minutes   Video   

At the September 6 meeting, City Council voted 5-4 to amend the ordinance to add a section that will refer the ordinance to the voters for a special election in May 2023. At that point, the ordinance was tabled for further discussion at the November 21 meeting, meaning that any further amendments or discussion of sending it to the voters will resume at that meeting.  Minutes   Video

At the November 21 meeting, City Council voted to reverse their decision of sending the ordinance to the voters, putting the decision of ordinance adoption back on the Councilors. The Council then voted the ordinance down, after which Council directed Leadership to schedule a Council work session to further discuss the matter.   Minutes   Video

More Information

For questions or more information, please contact Kathryn Duvall, Economic Development and Climate Program Specialist, at Kathryn.duvall@corvallisoregon.gov or call (541) 766-6423.

Below are some Frequently Asked Questions about the Home Energy Score. The questions are meant to be high-level and not exhaustive. For more information, you can also check on the Sustainability Coalition's Presentation out the Home Energy Score from January 2022.

For information on existing programs, please see a report prepared for the Portland City Council detailing the first 30 months of their mandatory Home Energy Score program. 

This page was last updated on December 27, 2022.