Oregon State University
College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences
Climate Science Colloquium Series
Janine Benner
Director, Oregon Department of Energy (ODOE)
Climate Science and Solutions: the path to Oregon's energy future
This talk was given Monday, April 27, 2026
Janine joined ODOE in February 2017 as the Assistant Director for Planning and Innovation, and was named agency Director by then-Governor Brown and confirmed by the Senate in February 2018. As director, she provides leadership and policy direction to the department’s 120+ employees and oversees a $200+ million budget.
Janine came to ODOE from the U.S. Department of Energy (USDOE), where she served as Associate Assistant Secretary in the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. Before that, she served as Deputy Assistant Secretary in USDOE’s Office of Congressional and Intergovernmental Affairs. Janine also spent 12 years working for Congressman Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), first as an energy and environmental policy advisor and then as deputy chief of staff. She grew up in Portland, Oregon, and has a degree in history from Princeton University.
