Please see Climate Emergency Overview here.

Jump to a topic:

• Federal

• Oregon

• Joint Ways and Means CE Funding Topics

• Environmental Justice Bills

• Natural and Working Lands

• Critical Energy Infrastructure (CEI) Emergency Management Package Update

• Environmental Rights Constitutional Amendment

• Oregon Treasury

• Other Climate Bills

• Climate Lawsuits/Our Children’s Trust

• Highlights of House and Senate Policy Committee Chamber Votes

  
  

Just 22 days left until the end of session. Priority Climate Emergency legislation policy and related budgets are dependent on an end of session collaborative process. Related, the numerous federal budgeting issues (including timing issues) and active court cases, add to the challenges. ‘Legislature heading toward a bumpy ending’ Oregon Capital Insider. 

Special Session? The League is aware of a possible special Sept session that could address some of these issues.

Progress: On June 3 Senate passed the POWER Act, HB 3546 Enrolled, with amendments, June 5 House passed. Once House Speaker and Senate President sign, it will be on its way to the Governor.  ‘Oregon Legislature passes ‘POWER Act,’ targeting industrial energy users like data centers’ – OPB

Four of six Dept of Energy ODOE 2025 Legislative bills have passed , 5/29/25   Session Update .

Federal

While the primary focus of the LWVOR Action Committee is on Legislation in Oregon, what is happening at the federal level is likely to affect budgeting and other decisions in our state. 

US Senate panel seeks to cut unspent US climate, clean energy funds | Reuters

How Trump’s ‘big, beautiful bill’ hits wind, solar and batteries | EEnews

Science policy this week: Jun 2, 2025 - AIP.ORG (American Institute of Physics AIP.ORG )


How the Five Pillars of U.S. Climate Policy are Threatened – Environmental and Energy Law Program | Harvard

Oregon

Oregon Got a Massive Federal Recovery Grant After 2020 Wildfires. Most of the Money Remains Unspent.| Willamette Week

Progressive Democrats unveil plan for transportation funding driven by doubling of gas tax Oregon Capital Chronicle 6-4-25

Oregon Victory for Oregonians: We Passed the POWER Act!| Latest News | News | Oregon CUB

Oregon Bills Would Advance Microgrids by Creating Resiliency Corridors and Boosting Community Powers . (With increasing numbers of outages due to wildfires and storms in Oregon and the Northwest, a coalition of stakeholders helped develop two bills now in the Oregon Legislature that aim to overcome regulatory and other barriers to microgrid development.) | Microgrid Knowledge May 2025.

Joint Ways and Means CE Funding Topics

The League supports full funding for all the following 5 JWM budget topics:

1). Transportation ODOT Package Priorities 

 The League supports OCN and other statewide NGO budget priorities:

•  Increase funding above 2017 levels for public transit




• Increase funding above 2017 levels for a safe, complete multimodal system (i.e. GreatStreets, Safe Routes to School, Oregon Community Paths, and bike/ped both on-street and trails, etc.) 




• Dedicated or increased revenue for light, medium and heavy-duty vehicle incentives, including for charging and purchasing of ZEVs (🡪 See NR LR for additional details) 




•  ( Please see Natural Resources Legislative Report on Transportation) 

2) Energy Affordability and Utility Accountability 

The League joined a coalition sign-on letter in April requesting funding to support building resilience. The goal is to use affordable measures to protect people from extreme weather.

 3). One Stop Shop 2.0/Energy Efficiency Navigation

(HB 3081A): In JWM: This bill would create a navigation program at ODOE to help Oregonians access federal, state, local, and utility energy efficiency incentives all in one place

4). Get the Junk Out of Rates 

 (SB 88): still in Senate Rules: This bill would stop utilities from charging certain expenses like lobbying, advertising, association fees to customers.  Protecting Oregonians with Energy Responsibility (POWER Act) (HB 3546): This bill ensures Oregon households are not unfairly burdened by large energy users with grid and transmission costs.

5). Full Funding for Climate Resilience programs

Reinvesting the same amount as last biennium in three programs:



• Rental Home Heat Pump Program (ODOE), $30m




• Community Heat Pump Deployment Program (ODOE), $15m




• Community Resilience Hubs (OREM), $10m (House Bill 3170)




Environmental Justice Bills. (disadvantaged communities)

HB 3170: Community Resilience Hubs and networks: Fiscal $10M

Work Session 3/4, passed to JWM, DHS, Sponsors, Rep. Marsh, Sen Pham and Rep Tan. League testimony





HB2548: new 5/23 amendment  and new  SMS   now. An  agriculture workforce labor standards study, HR PH was 5/29. New -7 amendment changing the bill to a study with $616K fiscal. League Testimony.

Natural and Working Lands

• HB 3489 Timber Severance Tax. House Committee on Revenue. League Testimony for original bill and for -1 Amendment. 






• HB 5039 financial administration of the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board; JWM NR SC, League testimony






• HB 3103A – work session was 3/31. Moved to JWM, Overweight Timber Harvest, League Testimony, new adopted  -5 amendment.





Critical Energy Infrastructure (CEI) Emergency Management Package Update

By Claudia Keith

• HB 2152: Testimony; work session held 4/8 , passed, moved to Joint Ways and Means (JWM) -2 amendments, Staff Measure Summary (SMS). $1M+ fiscal






• HB 2949: Testimony; work session held 4/8 , passed to JWM w -5 amendment new SMS. Fiscal is not available, will be completed if the bill gets a hearing in JWM NR SC. 






• HB 3450A  Testimony, work session held, 4/8  passed adopted amendment -1.  fiscal >1M$. referred to JWM 4/11






Early in the 2025 legislative session, the Oregon League testified in support of what are now HB 2949 A and HB 2152 A. Each bill focused on the Critical Energy Infrastructure (CEI) Hub. Recently both bills passed out of the House Emergency Management, General Management and Veterans Committee, chaired by Representative Tran. HB 2949 passed with unanimous approval. 

On Wednesday, May 28, the League of Women Voters of Oregon, and the League of Women Voters of Portland, helped co-sponsor an online presentation titled: "The Critical Energy Infrastructure (CEI) Hub is a Ticking Time Bomb.  Why is that a Statewide Danger?". Our goal was to engage residents across the state. We were pleased that 68 people from 6 different counties and affiliated with 16 organizations attended. Nikki Mandell, a retired history professor, provided an overview of the CEI Hub, discussed potential statewide impacts in the event of an earthquake, then turned to a discussion of the bills.

Now we are waiting for the bills to be assigned to a subcommittee of the Joint Ways and Means Committee.

See CEI Hub Seismic Risk Analysis (The study, Impacts of Fuel Releases from the CEI Hub, is intended to characterize and quantify the anticipated damages from the CEI Hub in the event of the Cascadia Subduction Zone (CSZ) Earthquake.) See Climate Emergency April 28: CEI emergency management package update.

The Bigger Picture: ASCE's (American Society of Civil Engineers, founded in 1852), Oregon received a  C- grade Infrastructure Report Card.

Environmental Rights Constitutional Amendment

At this point in the session, it is doubtful SJR 28 has enough support to move out of Sen Rules. SJR 28  proposed -1 amendment, Environmental Rights Constitutional amendment (ERA) 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 Senate Rules, so the Legislative first chamber deadlines are not applicable. A Work Session is not yet scheduled. The -1 amendment is a partial rewrite and may address the League’s concerns. 

The OCERA coalition appears to be planning a ballot initiative campaign. ‘Supporters of Oregon Green Amendment rally at the Oregon State Capitol ‘ | Salem Statesman Journal.

Oregon Treasury:  Oregon Divest/ Environmental, Social, and Governance Updates

By Claudia Keith 

Oregon Divest / ESG:  Environmental, Social, and Governance Updates

HB 2081A: Senate vote will be 6/9. Senate Finance and Revenue WS was 6/2. Directs the Oregon Investment Council and the State Treasurer to take certain actions to manage the risks of climate change to the Public Employees Retirement Fund. Passed House along party lines. WS Senate Finance & Rev was 5/28. 

Oregon Public Financing / BANK



HB 2966A: Establishes the State Public Financing / public bank Task Force, Work Session was 3/6/2025 passed to Joint Ways and Means (JWM), fiscal: .94M  League Testimony

Other Climate Bills

• HB 3963 Offshore Wind: Senate vote June 9, House passed June 5. Extends the deadline from Sept 1, 2025, to Jan 1, 2027, for the DLCD to draft and submit a report to the Legislative Assembly on the department's activities to develop an Offshore Wind Roadmap and its assessment of enforceable state policies related to offshore wind energy development off the Oregon coast. 


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





• HB 3365B: Senate vote 6/9. climate change instruction /curriculum in public schools, League Testimony ,  NO Fiscal noted, Chief Sponsors: Rep Fragala, Rep McDonald





• SB 688A: -5 , Public Utility Commission performance-based regulation of electric utilities, PH 3/12,& 3/19, work session was 3/24, updated $974K fiscal, moved to JWM , Sub Cmt Natural Resources. League testimony, Sen. Golden, Sen. Pham


• SB 827A: Solar and Storage Rebate, SEE Work session 2/17, Gov. Kotek & DOE, Senate voted 21-7, moved to House 3/4, House passed, 5/20.  Governor signed 5/28 


• HB 3546 Enrolled,  POWER Act, Senate passed 6/3 House concurred 6/5. new GIS 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. NO Fiscal, The League has approved being listed on a coalition sign on advocacy letter.   




• HB 3189 in JWM. Oregon lawmakers introduce legislation to rein in utility bills | KPTV, Citizens Utility Board CUB presentation here.
 




• SB 1143A : -3, moved to JWM, with bipartisan vote, PH was 3/19, Work session was 4/7 SEE, PUC established a pilot program that allows each natural gas 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. 

• HB 3609 work session 4/8, moved to JWM. The measure requires electric companies to develop and file with the Oregon Public Utility Commission a distributed power plant program for the procurement of grid services from customers of the electric company who enroll in the program. 

• HB 3653 Enrolled Gov signed 5/27 Allows authorized state agencies to enter into energy performance contracts without requiring a competitive procurement if the authorized state agency follows rules that the Attorney General adopts, negotiates a performance guarantee, and enters into the contract with a qualified energy service company that the ODOE prequalifies and approves.



• HB 2065 A and HB 2066 A: Microgrid Package in JWM – see League sign on letter.

Climate Lawsuits/Our Children’s Trust

Here is one example of how to track ODEQ Climate Protection Program cases. Basically, there are a number of active federal lawsuits, Climate Litigation May 30 Updates 

Another source: Columbia University Law - Sabin Climate DB lists 85 lawsuits , (active and dismissed) mentioning Oregon.

No new press releases from OCT.

Highlights of House and Senate Policy Committee and Chamber Votes

June 3

By a vote of 18-12, the Senate passed HB 3546 B (the POWER Act), the top priority bill on this week's OCN Hot List. It orders the PUC to create a service classification for large energy use facilities, principally data centers and crypto mining facilities. Rates for this customer class would have to be proportional to the costs of serving them. (Currently, such users are classified as industrial customers, which pay the lowest rate for electricity, followed by commercial and then residential customers.) The PUC would have to require electric utilities to enter into a long-term (at least 10 years) contract with such users to pay a minimum amount or percentage for the contract term, which could include a charge for excess demand. The bill would apply only to large users that apply for service on or after the effective date of the act, or that make significant investments or incur costs after the effective date that could result in increased costs or risks to other retail customers. On June 5th, the House concurred with the Senate amendments and repassed the bill 37-17.

June 4

By a vote of 32-22, the House passed SB 685 A, requiring a natural gas utility to notify each customer and the PUC if the utility plans to increase the amount of hydrogen blended with natural gas and the ratio of the volume of hydrogen to the volume of natural gas will exceed 2.5% for the first time. A utility that has a program for blending hydrogen with natural gas must maintain information about the program on its website, including how a customer may communicate with the utility about the program.

June 4: The Senate concurred with House amendments to SB 726 B and repassed the bill by 18-12. The House had narrowed the focus of municipal landfills' required methane emissions monitoring to Benton County, targeting Coffin Butte.

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED:  What is your passion related to Climate Emergency ?  You can help. Volunteers are needed.  The short legislative session begins in January of 2026. Many State Agency Boards and Commissions meet regularly year-round and need monitoring.  If any area of climate or natural resources is of interest to you, please contact Peggy Lynch, Natural Resources Coordinator, or Claudia Keith Climate Emergency at peggylynchor@gmail.com Or climatepolicy@lwvor.org.  Training will be offered.

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