[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6259340,"mediaKeyId","3141573-a53f09f88e9eddafe37a6b9c4003a0ee","parentId",3141573,"title","Committee advances two energy bills to the floor; work sessions report due‑pass recommendations","audioSeconds",106,"startMs",4194000,"endMs",4300000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3141573-a53f09f88e9eddafe37a6b9c4003a0ee&start=4194&end=4300","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3141573-a53f09f88e9eddafe37a6b9c4003a0ee/thumbnail_4194000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6259340/Oregon/Committee-advances-two-energy-bills-to-the-floor-work-sessions-report-duepass-recommendations","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6259340-deac3ec632bf5bfe52ffca9319b3a9f1/orig.mp4?Expires=1770447505&Signature=oIEHDBvrZXvrDtmBipsLz9oGbrB5W4GPFw5MjCm0FspFgqtC0KrT~JW-rvmmjs9jqLnYK1WYrssBc3n4XQYCL-Gz~slklp6VUwR5HrdHWljcGd8WNKFSQV1bum5TdU2OeecEiyrJ1v~02qZtuuo9ozNYIk5DisZqQkeAWrJ3rNzVwb-U05170FQVxEbAzq1msGWNmXwonTEvtrLZkP8vR-WlPdQbhkxeTrCmZHMdsls~R12Zr3XOSqLPT1ksW2iEFQA2e6vsinwAlmYWcHD1p7lViz8Q42Rt44-h8xtkrf6mTDt8K6Uj~-QmWlv4PqsIOQij3hrv-~fYTp3882EMTg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Oregon State Legislature","date","2025-04-28T00:00:00Z","article","During the April 28 meeting the Senate Energy and Environment Committee completed work sessions on two bills and moved both to the Senate floor with due‑pass recommendations.

House Bill 2332 prohibits the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality from requiring a Title V operating permit for an air curtain incinerator under specified circumstances. Committee staff reported no fiscal or revenue impact. Vice Chair Brock Smith moved HB 2332 to the floor with a due‑pass recommendation; the chair directed a roll call and the motion carried.

House Bill 2375A requires a person developing or repowering a wind energy facility to apply to the Federal Aviation Administration and, if applicable, the Federal Communications Commission for approval of light mitigation technology systems. The bill received a no‑revenue, minimal fiscal‑impact note. The committee adopted the amendment that had passed the House and moved HB 2375A to the floor with a due‑pass recommendation. Senators spoke in favor, and the roll call recorded unanimous support; the motion carried.

Both motions were recorded as carried on the committee floor. The transcript records the committee moving each bill to the floor with a due‑pass recommendation and the clerk taking roll calls; specific numerical tallies were not printed in the hearing excerpt but committee members announced \"aye\" votes and the chair stated \"motion carries.\"","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Senate Committee On Energy and Environment 04/28/2025 3:00 PM","oneSentenceSummary","In work sessions the Senate Energy and Environment Committee recommended sending House Bill 2332 (air curtain incinerator permit limits) and House Bill 2375A (wind turbine light‑mitigation FAA/FCC approvals) to the Senate floor with due‑pass recommendations; roll calls were taken and motions carried.","taxTitle","Energy and Environment, Senate, Committees, Legislative, Oregon","taxId",17629,"location","Oregon","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6259346,"Committee hears testimony on bill to modernize state energy performance contracting",868,3234000,4102000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3141573-a53f09f88e9eddafe37a6b9c4003a0ee&start=3234&end=4102","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3141573-a53f09f88e9eddafe37a6b9c4003a0ee/thumbnail_3234000.jpg","/articles/6259346/Oregon/Committee-hears-testimony-on-bill-to-modernize-state-energy-performance-contracting","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6259346-9b7507507b1af0186fe31deedb581169/orig.mp4?Expires=1770447505&Signature=mmZFOacvtKTatPP-m4wRyBf2MMHu9hV9OVRbkiBpWktrfunWAsmC5uQplXo0FH6lDu4hg7FwDI7v4aNKeOo~n3o4764KWrpFM1Sus5AdsYc3YzCZga0s2VgGywBzo4ViEEMym-Z4LqMJixmG3blL-MZwM6rkOL9ISke-DjGHIp~v8LQG87tJskaiPRc3AXIGRIr62IHi1nrNfhz5S4FrDXf7GS1aoAGXN7o4bYniG8YApXvNNlbVncqXkJTuc0PaBuNGBDXlt8tWM~lxA2Zkmv913mOqeoPJtRXVb1oLOKG9PYN~tOL6DlH45eKS~opajykAUbQi8rsip8OvFnA6HQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Senate Energy and Environment Committee held a public hearing April 28 on House Bill 3653, which would modernize Oregon’s energy savings performance contracting (ESPC) program so public agencies can more easily use guaranteed‑savings contracts to finance building upgrades.

House Representative Emerson Levy testified in support and said the bill would update an existing program, streamline vendor selection and expand the definition of cost effectiveness so agencies can count avoided maintenance and total cost of ownership, not just short‑term energy savings.

“House Bill 36 53 makes this existing program more flexible, strategic, and impactful,” said Isaac Insco, chief of staff to Representative Bobby Levy, who testified in support. He said the bill is voluntary and preserves local control while removing unnecessary procurement steps.

Witnesses from industry and the nonprofit sector described how ESPCs function and why changes are needed. Carrie Mead, executive director of Building Potential, said the bill would allow agencies to select prequalified energy service companies without issuing a second, duplicative procurement and would permit inclusion of on‑site renewable generation and other modern upgrades in the contract scope.

\"Energy performance contracting is a well‑tested effective and voluntary tool for public agencies to upgrade and maintain the building systems within their facilities, oftentimes without any needed upfront capital investment,\" Mead told the committee.

Joe Mankiewicz of McKinstry, speaking remotely, urged modernization and pointed to other states’ programs: Washington has used ESPCs to invest nearly $2 billion and save an estimated $50 million annually, and Colorado’s program has invested about $846 million. He said fewer than 40 Oregon public agencies have invested less than $200 million through ESPCs since 2008.

Testimony and questions from senators focused on how the Oregon Department of Energy would qualify vendors, whether the prequalified list preserves competition, and how the bill alters procurement and auditing steps in the ESPC process. Building Potential explained the current process: firms submit qualifications to ODE, which vets and places them on a list agencies can use; HB 3653 would permit an agency to select a prequalified firm directly for the audit and contracting phase, reducing duplication while preserving options to use an RFP process if an agency prefers.

Witnesses said the fiscal note for HB 3653 is minimal and the bill has unanimous House support (per witnesses) and reflects best practices used in other states and federal guidance.

The committee closed the public hearing after testimony from the bill sponsors, industry and nonprofit representatives and no immediate committee vote was recorded.","Witnesses from industry, nonprofits and the Oregon Department of Energy’s process urged lawmakers to pass House Bill 3653 to streamline energy performance contracting and broaden how cost effectiveness is measured for public facilities.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6259351,"Oregon senators hold informational hearing on agrivoltaics as House bill would create statewide task force",3172,42000,3214000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3141573-a53f09f88e9eddafe37a6b9c4003a0ee&start=42&end=3214","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3141573-a53f09f88e9eddafe37a6b9c4003a0ee/thumbnail_42000.jpg","/articles/6259351/Oregon/Oregon-senators-hold-informational-hearing-on-agrivoltaics-as-House-bill-would-create-statewide-task-force","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6259351-dd0968d63fed5179a80f21fe639588f1/orig.mp4?Expires=1770447505&Signature=hBxz8lpYkbSGGMxlmngOaOCaAnf1FAwUkquJlC~6GPBHIE4XmWGI0H8yoB1r7tiHbqEzpiaJnPVlKqlsH-lHrRHzS7X35m4RL2Y9YSOUJT~-1Rnz5pT~d6lO9z~Ebsh4BOmsnM0F9zw6PCybvl6HY73PyZ-NTdKjQYcYJEC0eeNSqeStAP4LJlMlsgD3v30LwJWv-jGbCVppwcDhI1Bt0ViHzCJgDt2YL7xKmCcYH4wG0Sp7H-rxXVspIsFSAaHCPUzm9q4g7q6E506JEEmqx6vK8zHwBd4TgBdEaPhyNO31aDiC1WmMSbcz70TEfXJgJvu8I~20Bbf-m1wR-iC2-Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","An informational hearing on agrivoltaics drew testimony April 28 to the Senate Energy and Environment Committee as lawmakers considered how to allow solar installations that share land with farming without taking good farmland out of production.

The hearing focused on House Bill 2063, introduced in the House as a committee bill, which would create a Task Force on Agrivoltaics supported by the Department of Land Conservation and Development and a broad set of stakeholders to study land‑use rules, potential benefits and impacts, and recommended guardrails. The bill, sponsors said, calls for the task force to meet over 18 months and report to the Legislature before the 2027 session.

Former state Senator Michael Dembrow, who described the bill’s genesis, told the committee that agrivoltaics is “the simultaneous use of land for both agriculture and solar energy production.” He said the task force would examine existing land‑use regulations, the benefits and limits of agrivoltaics for smaller family farms, impacts to the agricultural economy, and mechanisms to ensure farming remains the primary land use.

“New research by Dr. Higgins and others has suggested that if done right and in the right locations, solar power sited on farmland can be a beneficial, symbiotic use of land for both,” Dembrow said, describing a demonstration at Oregon State University’s North Willamette Agricultural Research Station and testimony from Linn County farmer John Langdon.

Chad Higgins, associate professor at Oregon State University, gave technical testimony and used a proposed federal definition to frame his remarks: \"a system under which energy production and agricultural production, including crop or animal production, occurs in an integrated manner on the same piece of land through the duration of the project.\" Higgins said agrivoltaics can increase farm resilience by harvesting excess light and converting it to energy while also, in many cases, improving productivity, nutrient content and water savings. He cautioned agrivoltaics are not suitable everywhere and urged statutory clarity so developers and farmers can know when the practice is an approved agricultural use.

John Langdon, a fourth‑generation Linn County farmer, described long interest from developers in property near a substation and offered a farmer’s hypothetical comparison: \"let's say you make an average net profit of $50 per acre; if they offer $500 to lease your land per acre to put in panels, I look at that as innovation dollars.” He said lease payments could fund new practices and make farms financially viable for the next generation.

Sarkhanatesh, a faculty member in the Rangeland and Livestock Sciences area at Oregon State, summarized sheep‑grazing and forage trials. He said fixed‑tilt panels reduced forage production by about 30 percent in some trials but that optimized panel designs at the research station produced forage comparable to open areas; he added that lamb growth was not negatively affected and that animals often used panel shade for resting and heat relief.

Testimony addressed concerns raised by landowners and community members about potential bad‑faith projects and long‑term conversion of farmland to industrial solar. Higgins and others described policy options such as bonds, continuing‑farming contingencies and design constraints to ensure agricultural activity continues as a condition of siting.

Committee members asked whether Oregon should compile best practices from other states before finalizing the task force’s work. Higgins noted Massachusetts and New Jersey have enacted agrivoltaic statutes with design constraints and premium payments; he said Oregon lacks clarity and that roughly 1,500 of 100,000 acres of proposed agrivoltaics nationally were in Oregon because developers are uncertain about legal status here.

The informational hearing closed after more than two hours of testimony, and committee members were directed to follow the proposed task force’s work and the pending House bill.

The hearing transcript shows the agrivoltaics discussion began when the chair opened the informational session and ended when the chair closed it and moved to other agenda items.","Legislators heard researchers, farmers and livestock specialists about agrivoltaics — using the same land for solar and farming — and were told House Bill 2063 would form an 18‑month task force to study siting, design and protections for agricultural land.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Committee advances two energy bills to the floor; work sessions report due‑pass recommendations

Committee hears testimony on bill to modernize state energy performance contracting

Oregon senators hold informational hearing on agrivoltaics as House bill would create statewide task force