Energy :: Oregon Citizens Lobby

SB 685A Places restrictions on hydrogen projects

Posted on May 11, 2025 by Donna | 1 Comments

Amendment eliminates the requirement to obtain prior authorization from PUC for hydrogen projects. Adds limitations. Requires a natural gas utility (utility) to provide notice to affected customers and Public Utility Commission (PUC) at least 60 days before blending begins if the utility plans to increase the amount of hydrogen that is blended with natural gas that the utility delivers through…

SB 551A Bans reusable plastic bags at retailers

Posted on May 11, 2025 by Donna | 0 Comments

PASSED SENATE, HOUSE FLOOR REFERRED BACK TO COMMITTEE. This Act changes restrictions on checkout bags and restricts some plastic products. Prohibits restaurants and retailers from providing reusable plastic checkout bags to consumers. Prohibits food and beverage providers and convenience stores from providing single-use plastic utensils or single-use condiment packaging to consumers unless requested. Prohibits lodging establishments from providing small plastic…

HB 3179 Micromanaging utility rates

Posted on May 6, 2025 by Donna | 1 Comments

Tells the PUC to look at the economic impact of a proposed rate or schedule of rates if the rates lead to certain revenue results. Directs the Public Utility Commission to consider the cumulative economic impact of a proposed rate or schedule of rates on a public utility’s ratepayers if the proposed rate or schedule of rates will result in…

SB 1160A Cost-benefit analysis of renewable energy projects

Posted on April 29, 2025 by Donna | 0 Comments

IN WAYS & MEANS Tells ODOE to study the costs and benefits of renewable energy projects in this state. Directs ODOE to give a report on its findings. Requires the State Department of Energy to carry out a cost-benefit analysis on deploying renewable energy projects in this state. Directs the department to submit findings to the interim committees of the…

HB 3874 Increases minimum for wind farm certification

Posted on April 27, 2025 by Donna | 0 Comments

Raises to 100 MW the smallest size that a wind power plant needs to be before a site certificate from EFSC is required. Increases from 50 megawatts to 100 megawatts the minimum size that a wind energy facility needs to be before a wind energy facility is required to obtain a site certificate from the Energy Facility Siting Council. Wind…

HB 2961A Mandates more electric charging stations

Posted on April 22, 2025 by Donna | 1 Comments

REFERRED TO HOUSE RULES COMMITTEE Increases the number of parking spaces in some new buildings that must have what is needed to charge electric cars. Increases the percentage of electrical service capacity for charging electric vehicles or electric vehicle charging stations that must be installed at vehicle parking spaces in the garages or parking areas of newly constructed commercial buildings,…

HB 2945 Zero-emission school buses

Posted on April 13, 2025 by Donna | 2 Comments

This Act makes new goals and laws for buying zero-emission school buses. Establishes the state policy on the purchase of new zero-emission school buses. Directs the Department of Environmental Quality to adopt rules to require the purchase of new zero-emission school buses in certain areas. Requires the purchase of new zero-emission school buses if the price is equal to a…

SB 1034 Local control for Energy facility

Posted on April 7, 2025 by Comm | 0 Comments

Removes a way in which EFSC may find that a proposed facility complies with statewide planning goals. Removes provisions that allow the Energy Facility Siting Council to find that an energy facility is in compliance with statewide planning goals even when the council determines that the facility does not comply with applicable substantive criteria from the affected local government’s land…

SB 1187 Climate Change Superfund Cost Recovery

Posted on April 7, 2025 by Comm | 1 Comments

Creates a program to recover the costs of climate change via a Climate Superfund Cost Recovery Program. This program is a retaliation tax in arrears from January 1, 1995 to December 31, 2024, highly unethical for a government to choose winners and losers politicizing activities that weren’t given an opportunity to comply with. It is deeming them guilty without a…

SB 1143 Pilot for natural gas to develop thermal energy

Posted on April 7, 2025 by Donna | 0 Comments

Makes the PUC create a program to have each gas company create a thermal energy network pilot project. Makes each gas company apply to create a pilot project. Directs the Public Utility Commission to establish a pilot program that allows each natural gas company to develop a utility-scale thermal energy network pilot project to provide heating and cooling services to…

SB 1178 10% required from small-scale renewable energy facilities

Posted on April 2, 2025 by Donna | 0 Comments

Requires 10 percent of the power sold in this state by a power company to be made by certain power plants. Requires 10 percent of the electricity sold in this state by each electric company that makes sales to 25,000 or more retail electricity consumers to be generated by small-scale renewable energy facilities or certain biomass facilities. Takes effect on…

HB 2370 PUC increases for public utilities

Posted on March 28, 2025 by Donna | 2 Comments

Raises the annual fee amount that the PUC may impose on public utilities to cover costs of the commission. Takes effect when the Governor signs it. Increases the annual fee amount that the Public Utility Commission may impose on public utilities for the purpose of defraying costs of the commission. Amends ORS 756.310 to increase the maximum annual fee that…

HB 3119 Delays implementing transitioning diesel to electric

Posted on March 21, 2025 by Donna | 3 Comments

This Act tells DEQ to wait to enforce some California rules on truck exhaust. Prohibits the Department of Environmental Quality from implementing or enforcing the Advanced Clean Trucks regulations before January 1, 2027. Declares an emergency, effective on passage. Oregon’s diesel ban went into effect January 1, but with President Trump’s executive order promising to rescind EV mandates, the future…

SB 88 Prohibits recovering certain utility costs from ratepayers

Posted on March 17, 2025 by Donna | 0 Comments

Bans a power or gas company from including in its rates certain costs or expenses. Prohibits an electric or gas company from recovering from ratepayers costs or expenses associated with advertising, political influence activity, litigation, penalties or fines and certain compensation. Directs the Public Utility Commission to limit the amount that an electric or gas company may recover from ratepayers…

SB 634 Classify Hydro as Renewable

Posted on March 17, 2025 by Comm | 1 Comments

A hydroelectric facility or any other equipment that generates electricity through the hydroelectric energy may be used to comply with a renewable portfolio standard. The objection is that hydropower as a renewable would diminish the need for other renewable sources – wind and solar, and save energy costs. Environmentalist object for unsupported reasons since they don’t apply the same standard…

IP 18 Repeals ban on nuclear power

Posted on February 8, 2025 by Donna | 0 Comments

This measure repeals the requirements established by the 1980 Ballot Measure 7, which mandate voter approval and the existence of a federally licensed facility for the disposal of high-level radioactive waste before certification of nuclear power plants in Oregon. Repealing these restrictions would allow the development and certification of nuclear power plants under existing state and federal energy and environmental regulations….

SB 369 Repeals EO 20-04 & future EO on reducing emissions

Posted on February 5, 2025 by Donna | 0 Comments

The Act stops state agencies from doing things to reduce or stop greenhouse gases from entering the air in Oregon. Prohibits the Governor and specified state agencies from taking measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in Oregon unless authorized by the Legislative Assembly by law enacted on or after the effective date of the Act. Requires agencies to reverse any…

SB 828 Creates the Grid Resilience Matching Fund.

Posted on February 2, 2025 by Donna | 0 Comments

Establishes the Grid Resilience Matching Fund. Appropriates moneys in the fund to the State Department of Energy to provide state matching funds for federal grant funding for grid resilience projects. All moneys in the fund are continuously appropriated to the State Department of Energy for the purposes of providing state matching funds to leverage federal grant funding for grid resilience…

SB 682 Retro tax on fossil fuel entities

Posted on January 23, 2025 by Donna | 0 Comments

This Act creates a program to recover the costs of climate change. Establishes the Climate Superfund Cost Recovery Program within the Department of Environmental Quality. Establishes the Climate Superfund Cost Recovery Program Account. Requires the State Treasurer to conduct an assessment on the costs of greenhouse gas emissions. Takes effect on the 91st day following adjournment sine die. This retroactive,…