MISSION – Patty Perry, the Planning Department director for the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR), has been confirmed to fill a vacant position on the Oregon Department of Energy’s Energy Facility Siting Council.
The council, with its seven members appointed by the governor and confirmed by the state Senate, oversees the development of electric-generating facilities, high-voltage transmission lines, gas pipelines, radioactive waste disposal sites and other projects. Proposed facilities must meet standards to receive site certificates. The council also has regulatory authority over a facility’s construction and operation.
Perry, who is on the CTUIR Energy Strategy Team, said her teammates recommended her to the CTUIR Board of Trustees (BOT) as a candidate to fill the council vacancy.
“The BOT wrote a letter to the governor recommending me for the position. I agreed and submitted my qualifications to the governor’s office and was referred to the Senate Rules Committee for a hearing,” she said. “I attended the scheduled hearing on Sept. 29 and submitted testimony to the committee, which recommended my appointment to the full Senate following its vetting. The Senate voted and confirmed my appointment on Sept. 30.”
Her council term runs from Oct. 1, 2025, to June 30, 2029.
Although feeling a bit overwhelmed upon learning of her confirmation, Perry said she is confident she can do the job.
“It started sinking in when I was sent a bunch of forms to fill out, received the council hearings schedule for the rest of the year and a lot of information about energy projects to absorb and review,” she said. “I will have an additional workload, which has already started, but I know I can handle it. I also greatly appreciate the support of the CTUIR Board of Trustees and Office of Executive Director and the confidence in me they have demonstrated by recommending me for the position.”
Perry said even though she won’t be representing the CTUIR on the council, the knowledge she’s learned while working for the tribal government could help with her decisions.
“As a long-time tribal planner with experience and knowledge of treaty rights, tribal sovereignty, working with various land jurisdictional issues, and with the cultural education I have received while working here at CTUIR for 18 years, I hope to be able to apply those insights learned while reviewing these projects,” she said.
For more information about the council, visit State of Oregon: Facilities – About the Council
