top of page
Back to All Legislative Reports
Climate Emergency

Legislative Report - Week of 3/31

Climate Emergency Team

 

Coordinator: Claudia Keith​

  • Efficient and Resilient Buildings: Bill Glassmire

  • Environmental Justice: Nancy Rosenberger

  • Environmental Rights Amendment: Claudia Keith

  • Natural Climate Solution - Forestry: Josie Koehne

  • CEI - Critical Energy Infrastructure : Nikki Mandell and Laura Rogers

  • Community Resilince & Emergency Management: Rebecca Gladstone 

  • Transportation: Claudia Keith

  • Joint Ways and Means - Budgets, Lawsuits, Green/Public Banking,

  • Divestment/ESG: Claudia Keith

  • Find additional Climate Change Advocacy volunteers in Natural Resources

Please see Climate Emergency Overview here.

Jump to a topic:



SJR 28 -1, Environmental Rights Constitutional amendment Senate Joint resolution -  with referral to the 2026 ballot, public hearing was 3/26. The League provided support with comments testimony. The bill is in Sen Rules, so the Legislative deadlines are not applicable. A Work Session is not yet scheduled. The amendment is a partial rewrite. LWV has provided guidance given over 26 states have or are in the process of having green / environmental rights constitutional topics or initiatives usually a legislation – referral to the people. New Mexico green amendment campaign focuses on racial justice.


Environmental Justice Bills



  • SB 54: Work Session 3/31. The bill requires landlords provide cooling for residential units. The League endorsed and added our name to a Oregon Justice Transition Alliance (OJTA), sign-on letter.


  • HB2548: establishes an agriculture workforce labor standards board,  League Testimony. Work Session is 4/2.



Climate Priority Advocacy Groups


For the first time, this year most of our priorities are included in the bipartisan 2025 Legislative Environmental Caucus Priorities,  Citizens Utility Board (CUB) Priorities and/or Oregon Conservation Network (OCN) priorities. OCN is the only formal environmental lobby coalition group in the capitol. 


Consequently, for some of these bills (especially those in a package) the League may just join coalition sign-on letters rather than providing individual testimony.


Climate Priorities with League Testimony with League Endorsement and Still Alive


  • HB 3170: Community Resilience Hubs and networks: Work Session 3/4, passed to JWM, DHS, Sponsors, Rep. Marsh, Sen Pham and Rep Tan. League testimony





Critical Energy Infrastructure (CEI) Emergency Management Package


The folloThe following four bills are part of a package which was the subject of public hearings February 27 and March 6 in the House Energy Management, General Government, and Veterans Committee:



Energy Affordability and Utility Accountability Package


  • HB 3081  (League testimony) work session 4/8, creates an active navigator to help access energy efficiency incentives all in one place


  • SB 88 (League testimony) work session was 3/24,  limits the ability of utility companies to charge ratepayers for lobbying, litigation costs, fines, marketing, industry fees, and political spending. 
Moved to Sen Rules. 


In addition to our testimony, LWVOR joined the Oregon Conservation Network, coordinated through the Oregon League of Conservation Voters, in sign-on letters supporting both HB 3081 and SB 88.  PH  3 / 4 


Climate Treasury Investment Bills



Natural and Working Lands



Other Priorities 


  • HB 2566 -3 Stand-alone Energy resilience Projects, Work Session was 3/20, moved to JWM, Rep Gamba was the only nay, Governor Tina Kotek,  (H CEE), DOE presentation






  • HB 3365: work session 4/7, climate change instruction /curriculum in public schools, House Cm Educ, PH was 3/12, League Testimony Chief Sponsors: Rep Fragala, Rep McDonald, Rep Andersen, Gamba, Lively, Neron, Senator Patterson, Pham, Taylor. 




  • SB 1187 new Climate cost recovery Liability interagency bill, PH 4/7, possible work session 4/9, Sen. Golden, Senate Energy and Environment 

(Replaces SB 679 and SB 682:  


  • SB 688: -5 Public Utility Commission performance-based regulation of electric utilities, PH 3/12,& 3/19, work session was 3/24, moved to JWM , League testimony, Sen. Golden, Sen. Pham, SEE  




  • SB 827: Solar and Storage Rebate, SEE Work session 2/17, Gov. Kotek & DOE, Senate voted 21-7, moves to House 3/4

 first reading.
 referred to H CEE 3/10


  • HB 3546, the POWER Act, work session 4/8, PR was 3/6, The bill requires the Public Utility Commission (PUC) to create a new rate class for the largest energy users in the state. (data centers and other high-volume users). These regulations would only apply to customers in the for-profit utility's service areas of PGE, Pacific Power, and Idaho Power. The League has approved being listed on a coalition sign on advocacy letter.    




  • Oregon lawmakers introduce legislation to rein in utility bills | KPTV 




  • Citizens Utility Board CUB presentation here.




  • SB 1143 : NEW bill, PH was 3/19 and Work session 4/2, SEE , PUC established a pilot program that allows each NG Co  to develop a utility-scale thermal energy network (TEN) pilot project to provide heating and cooling services to customers. Senator Lieber, Sollman, Representative Levy B, Senator Smith DB, Representative Andersen, Marsh. Example: Introduction to the MIT Thermal Energy Networks (MITTEN) Plan for Rapid and Cost-Effective Campus Decarbonization.  


  • Climate Solutions : Thermal Energy Networks win win : 


  • Carbon sequestration/storage: See DOGAMI Agency Budget (see Natural Resources Legislative Report) – Geologic Carbon Dioxide Sequestration Interactive Map | U.S. Geological Survey (usgs.gov).






Priority Bills that died in policy committee


Some of these related to funding may appear in the end of session reconciliation (Xmas tree) bill. 



Climate Emergency JWM Budget Concerns


In order to stay on track, the Legislature must prioritize investments for vital environmental justice, climate and community protection programs (CPP). Without additional appropriations this session, the following existing successful climate, CPP and environmental justice programs may run out of funding: 


  • Community Renewable Energy Grant Program (ODOE)



  • Rental Home Heat Pump Program (ODOE)



  • Community Heat Pump Program (ODOE)



  • Oregon Clean Vehicle Rebate Program/Charge Ahead (DEQ)



  • Medium and Heavy-Duty Vehicles Rebates + Infrastructure Grants (DEQ)



  • Community Resilience Hubs and Networks (ODHS)



  • Climate Change Worker Relief Fund (DAS)



  • Oregon Solar + Storage Rebate Program (ODOE)



  • Natural & Working Lands Fund (OWEB)


Senate E&E Committee


SB 88 (Get the Junk Out of Rates) – Prohibits an electric or gas utility from recovering from ratepayers’ costs or expenses associated with advertising, political influence activity, litigation, penalties or fines and certain compensation. The committee voted unanimously to refer the bill to Rules without recommendation. 

 

SB 688-5 – Allows the PUC to adopt a framework for carrying out performance-based regulation of electric utilities, and appropriates $500,000 to PUC for that purpose. The fiscal note estimates an all-funds impact of $974,013 and 0.75 FTE in 2025-27, including $750K GF and the rest funded through the PUC’s annual fee on regulated utilities.  The committee voted to move the bill to Joint W&M with a do-pass recommendation (Robinson nay).


The committee also heard testimony on SB 1178, which would require that 10% of electricity sold in Oregon by each IOU be generated by small-scale renewable energy facilities (capacity of 20 Mw or less) or biomass facilities that are not owned by the IOU. Current law provides that at least 10% of the aggregate electrical capacity of all IOUs in Oregon be generated by small-scale renewable energy or biomass facilities. As explained by James Williams, Community Renewable Energy Assn., electrical capacity is only one-third of actual generation, so this bill would triple the amount of independently produced small-scale power the utilities would have to sell. He said these small projects are important for rural economies and more palatable than large projects. PGE and PacifiCorp oppose the bill, saying it greatly expands the small-scale renewable mandate in HB 2021, "moves the goalpost" and cuts against the legislature’s intent to address utility bill increases.


House CE&E - March 25


HB 3823 Revenue without recommendation. The bill would provide a property tax break for personal property used by a business to generate or store energy for consumption by the business on its premises. Rep. Gamba asked for the record that Revenue clarify whether diesel generators installed at data centers would also be included in the exemption – he believes they are real property and thus would still be taxed -- and whether the exemption would apply to actual battery storage systems.


Chair Lively carried over work sessions on the following bills because expected amendments are not ready yet:

 

HB 3336 – Declares state policy for electric utilities to 

 

a.     Meet the required clean energy targets set forth in ORS 469A.410; 

b.     Develop sufficient resources to meet load growth;

c.     Create efficiencies and resilience in the transmission system; and 

d.     Maintain energy affordability. 

 

Utilities would have to file strategic plans with the PUC for using grid enhancing technologies (defined in the bill) where doing so is cost-effective and update the plans every two years. A utility would have to carry out its first filed strategic plan by January 1, 2030. 

 

HB 2961 – Increases the percentage of electrical service capacity for EV charging that must be installed in parking garages or other parking areas of new multifamily and mixed-use buildings with privately owned commercial space and five or more residential dwelling units


HB 2063-1 to Joint W&M with a do-pass recommendation. It would create the Agrivoltaics Task Force staffed by DLCD. Fiscal impact estimate is $238,978 for 0.75 FTE to manage the project.


The committee held a work session on HB 2961, which would raise the percentage of EV charging capacity that must be installed in parking garages or other parking areas of new multifamily and mixed-use buildings with privately owned commercial space and five or more residential units. The proposed -4 amendment would raise the threshold for installation from 5 residential units to 10, a concession to rural communities. Rep. Osborne strongly opposed the bill, saying it will raise the cost of housing, and pushed the -2 amendment, which would delay the mandate until criteria for new housing construction, housing costs, homelessness, and electricity rates are met for four consecutive years. The committee could not agree on whether to vote on the amendments. Chair Lively said more amendments are not feasible as “we’ve overloaded Lege Council.” He carried over the WS to allow more discussion offline. 


The chair also carried over another half dozen work sessions on bills for which amendments and/or fiscal impact statements were not available. These included HB 3336, requiring electric utilities to file strategic plans with the PUC for using grid enhancing technologies (GETs), which had been carried over previously. 


House CE&E - March 27


  • HB 3868 – Requires ODOE to study avoided costs paid to qualifying facilities under the federal Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act (PURPA) compared with the costs incurred by IOUs to acquire or maintain renewable energy generation facilities. Rep. Helm said the data used to calculate avoided costs for rate setting are in a “black box” that the IOUs bring to PUC. The bill would bring transparency to avoided-cost calculations. CREA and OSSIA supported while PGE opposed, noting that PUC has a regulatory docket open on this process and the bill might conflict with that determination.

  • HB 3874 – Increases from 50 MW to 100 MW the minimum size that a wind energy facility needs to be before the facility must obtain a site certificate from the Energy Facility Siting Council. CREA and Renewable Northwest supported; no opposition. 

  • HB 3927 – Requires ODOE to study the need to expand electric transmission infrastructure in Oregon. It would create the Oregon Electric Transmission Expansion Fund and appropriate $8 billion over the next five biennia for deposit in the fund. The -1 amendment would lower the long-term appropriation to $1.6 billion. More amendments are coming to expand the scope of the required study. Rep. Edwards argued for the bill saying energy transmission is economic development, and our outdated infrastructure causes lost jobs and lost revenue for local governments


Environmental Caucus Session Update - Bipartisan


Environmental Caucus Session Update - bipartisan (abridged) March 24, 2025


April 9 is the upcoming deadline for most bills to have a work session and get voted out of their committees and onto the floor of the first chamber. You'll see a lot of activity in committees over the next few weeks in efforts to keep bills alive. Bills in Joint committees, in Rules, Revenue, and Conduct are exempt from this timeline. 


Environmental Caucus Priority Bills We're Watching This Week


SJR 28 is a ballot referral for the 2026 general election that asks Oregonians to vote on whether or not to enshrine the right to a healthy environment in the Oregon constitution. You might be familiar with this concept from last year's ruling in Montana that sided in favor of Our Children's Trust, who were suing the state over their right to a clean and healthful environment. You can find out more about the Oregon effort here. 

The Oregon Legislature’s Environmental Caucus is composed of members who believe that our state requires bold environmental action and are dedicated to furthering policy that benefits the natural resources, wildlife, economy, and communities of Oregon. 


Current Members

Sen. Jeff Golden

Rep. Mark Gamba

Rep. Courtney Neron

Sen. Khanh Pham

Rep. Tom Andersen

Rep. Ben Bowman

Sen. Anthony Broadman

Rep. Farrah Chaichi

Rep. Willy Chotzen

Rep. David Gomberg

Sen. Chris Gorsek

Rep. Ken Helm

Rep. Zach Hudson

Rep. John Lively

Rep. Pam Marsh

Rep. Travis Nelson

Rep. Mark Owens

Sen. Deb Patterson

Sen. Kathleen Taylor

Rep. Jules Walters

 

Please find additional info in Natural Resource Legislative reports including reports addressing carbon sequestration / storage, geothermal energy geological / fracking issues, wildfire and energy facility siting  / land use issues. 


News and Commission Meetings


Oregon Climate Action Commission to Meet Virtually on April 11, 2025 — Energy Info


Gov. Kotek seeks answers from state utility commission amid public outcry over rising utility rates: In a letter to the Public Utility Commission, Kotek asked for more information about how the commission would keep rates low following 50% rate hikes in last five years |OCC


US Supreme Court will not hear novel youth-led climate change case | Reuters


Trump admin considers killing big energy projects in Dem states - POLITICO


Trump funding uncertainty threatens rapid bus plan, other Portland climate projects - oregonlive.com


Electric vehicle owners don't buy gas. States look for other ways to pay for roads and bridges. - AP


Oregon, nine other states hit 2013 goal of getting 3.3 million electric vehicles on roads by 2025 - Oregon Capital Chronicle


Portland councilors discuss safety of storing oil in an industrial hub sitting on a quake zone - OPB


Oregon fire officials say PacifiCorp didn't cause Santiam Fire, contradicting federal reports, jury decision - OPB


Oregon farmers say they're losing land to luxury homes and $800-a-night B & Bs. Hotly debated bills aim to fix that - The Oregonian


Hundreds support pausing Oregon's investment in private fossil fuel holdings but Treasury opposed - Oregon Capital Chronicle


Oregon lawmakers propose wildfire funding solutions bill - OPB



Interested in reading additional reports? Please see our Governance, Natural Resources, and Social Policy report sections.

bottom of page