top of page
Back to All Legislative Reports
Climate Emergency

Legislative Report - Week of 2/24

Climate Emergency Team

 

Coordinator: Claudia Keith​

  • Efficient and Resilient Buildings: Bill Glassmire

  • OHA & Environmental Justice: Nancy Rosenberger

  • Environmental Rights Amendment: Claudia Keith

  • Natural Climate Solution - Forestry: Josie Koehne

  • Emergency Management: Rebecca Gladstone 

  • Transportation: Claudia Keith

  • Ways and Means - Budgets, Lawsuits, Green/Public Banking, Divestment/ESG: Claudia Keith

Please see Climate Emergency Overview here.

Jump to a topic:



Coordinator: Claudia Keith


  • Efficient and Resilient Buildings: Bill Glassmire

  • OHA & Environmental Justice: Nancy Rosenberger

  • Environmental Rights Amendment: Claudia Keith

  • Natural Climate Solution - Forestry: Josie Koehne

  • Emergency Management: Rebecca Gladstone 

  • Critical Energy Infrastructure CEI: Laura Roger & Nikki Mandell

  • Transportation: Claudia Keith

  • Ways & Means - Budgets, Lawsuits, Green/Public Banking, Divestment/ESG: Claudia Keith


At this point in the session, we have identified a few League policy and/or budget Climate Emergency priorities, and some of those now have League testimony. This year most of our priorities are included in the bipartisan 2025 Legislative Environmental Caucus Priorities, CUB, Citizens Utility Board Priorities and or OCN, Oregon Conservation Network priorities; the only formal environmental lobby coalition group in the building. 


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 


  • HB 2966: Establishes the State Public Financing Task Force (see 2023 HB2763, vetoed by the governor) Representative Gamba, Senator Golden, Frederick, Representative Andersen, Evans, House Commerce and Consumer Protection (H CCP)

    • League Testimony, public hearing was 1/28/25. The bill would establish a 14-member State Public Finance Task Force, comprised of four legislators and 10 Oregonians appointed by the Governor. The Task Force would study how public bodies invest their capital funds, look for cost savings by using public financing practices, explore governing and corporate structures for public financing entities, and explore different public finance models. 

  • HB 3170, Community Resilience Hubs and networks: DHS, Sponsors, Rep. Marsh, Sen Pham and Rep Tan.


League testimony, House Climate, Energy, and Environment (H CEE); public hearing was 2/4/25


Other Priorities 



Data Center Energy Issue: ‘It may be time to take a new look at electricity demand


Oregon Capital Chronicle. “This year’s Oregon legislative session is likely to see measures intended to block these tech companies’ power demands from boosting at least residential rates even higher. Two placeholder bills on studying utilities have been filed, Senate Bill 128 and House Bill 3158, and Rep. Pam Marsh, D-Ashland, is working on another one.“  (see SB 553 (LC 1547) mentioned below) 


Transportation package that prioritizes climate, equity, and wildlife


This package would build on the historic gains of HB 2017 (which included investments in public transit, safe routes to School, and vehicle electrification), to shift the focus to multimodal, safety, and climate-forward investments. This promises to create a system that saves money over time and builds a more resilient, equitable, and healthy future for all Oregonians. (see OCN Press Rel)


Energy Affordability and Utility Accountability Package


(HB 3081, SB 88, LC 1547): Oregonians are struggling to keep up with skyrocketing utility bills in the face of ever-worsening climate impacts. HB 3081 would create an active navigator to help Oregonians access energy efficiency incentives all in one place. SB 88 limits the ability of utility companies to charge ratepayers for lobbying, litigation costs, fines, marketing, industry fees, and political spending. SB 553 LC 1547 ensures that large energy users (i.e. data centers) do not unfairly burden Oregon households. (*see OCN Press Rel)


Senate Energy and Environment Committee


The committee moved three energy-related bills requested by the governor to the Senate floor with a do-pass recommendation:


SB 825: Requires ODOE to minimize reporting costs and duplication of reporting requirements for state agencies in the Building Energy Performance Standards program (ORS 469.275 to 469.291). Vote was unanimous.

 

SB 827: Expands the Oregon Solar + Storage Rebate Program to offer rebates for an energy storage (battery) system that is installed to be paired with a previously installed solar electric system. No more than 25% of available rebate funds in a given year could be issued for such systems. The bill has no fiscal or revenue impact. The rebate program needs additional funding to move forward but the governor's budget does not request those funds. The committee voted 4-1 (Robinson) to move the bill to the floor, with subsequent referral to Joint W&M rescinded.

 

SB 828: Establishes the Grid Resilience Matching Fund to provide state matching funds to leverage federal grant funding for grid resilience projects. The bill has no fiscal impact, does not identify a revenue source and appropriates no funding. The committee voted 4-1 (Robinson) to move the bill with subsequent referral to Joint W&M.


Nuclear Energy Bills


The following bills have been posted for public hearing in House CE&E on Thurs. 2/27: NOTE: LWV and LWVOR have a Nuclear Waste Position which we may use to provide opposing testimony.


  • HB 2038: "Study" bill on nuclear advantages, feasibility, economic impact, safety, reliability, etc.

  • HB 2410: Allows siting of a small (<300 mW) modular reactor pilot project in Umatilla Co., subject to certain conditions including an up-or-down referendum in the county and establishes a fund in the treasury for that purpose.


Before that, on Tues. 2/25, House CE&E has scheduled hearings on HJM 10 (seeking federal support for and leverage on BPA) and HB 3336 (declaring a state policy regarding the electric transmission system, including requiring an electric utility to develop strategic plans for using grid enhancing technologies).




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


bottom of page