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83rd OREGON LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY--2025 Regular Session
Senate Bill 17
Sponsored by Senator THATCHER; Senator WEBER, Representatives DIEHL, LEVY B (at the request of Marion
County Commissioners) (Presession filed.)
SUMMARY
The following summary is not prepared by the sponsors of the measure and is not a part of the body thereof subject
to consideration by the Legislative Assembly. It is an editor’s brief statement of the essential features of the
measure as introduced.The statement includes a measure digest written in compliance with applicable readability
standards.
Digest: Makes power made from the direct burning of solid waste eligible for RECs. (Flesch
Readability Score: 63.4).
Establishes the eligibility for renewable energy certificates for facilities that generate electricity
from the direct combustion of municipal solid waste and became operational before January 1, 1995,
if such facilities register with the Western Renewable Energy Generation Information System at any
time, and for up to 11 average megawatts of electricity generated, per calendar year, from the
combustion of biogenic material.
A BILL FOR AN ACT
Relating to the eligibility to use electricity generated from waste for renewable energy certificates;
amending ORS 469A.020 and 469A.031.
Be It Enacted by the People of the State of Oregon:
SECTION 1. ORS 469A.020 is amended to read:
469A.020. (1) Except as provided in this section, electricity may be used to comply with a
renewable portfolio standard only if the electricity is generated by a facility that becomes opera-
tional on or after January 1, 1995.
(2) Electricity from a generating facility, other than a hydroelectric facility, that became oper-
ational before January 1, 1995, may be used to comply with a renewable portfolio standard if the
electricity is attributable to capacity or efficiency upgrades made on or after January 1, 1995.
(3) Electricity from a hydroelectric facility that became operational before January 1, 1995, may
be used to comply with a renewable portfolio standard if the electricity is attributable to efficiency
upgrades made on or after January 1, 1995. If an efficiency upgrade is made to a Bonneville Power
Administration facility, only that portion of the electricity generation attributable to Oregon’s share
of the electricity may be used to comply with a renewable portfolio standard.
(4) Subject to the limit imposed by ORS 469A.025 (5), electricity from a hydroelectric facility
that became operational before January 1, 1995, may be used to comply with a renewable portfolio
standard if the facility is certified as a low-impact hydroelectric facility on or after January 1, 1995,
by a national certification organization recognized by the State Department of Energy by rule, and
if the facility is either:
(a) Owned by an electric utility; or
(b) Not owned by an electric utility and located in Oregon and licensed by the Federal Energy
Regulatory Commission under the Federal Power Act, 16 U.S.C. 791a et seq., or exempt from such
license.
(5) Electricity from a generating facility located in this state that uses biomass and that became
operational before January 1, 1995, may be used to comply with a renewable portfolio standard if
NOTE:Matter in boldfaced type in an amended section is new; matter [italic and bracketed] is existing law to be omitted.
New sections are in boldfaced type.
LC 2809 SB17
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the facility meets the requirements of the federal Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 (P.L.
95-617) on March 4, 2010.
(6) Electricity from a generating facility located in this state that generates electricity from
direct combustion of municipal solid waste and that became operational before January 1, 1995, may
be used to comply with a renewable portfolio standard for up to 11 average megawatts of electricity
[generated per calendar year.] generated, per calendar year, from the direct combustion of
biogenicmaterial.
SECTION 2. ORS 469A.031 is amended to read:
469A.031. Notwithstanding ORS 469A.029, a facility described ineither ORS 469A.020 (5) or (6)
is eligible for renewable energy certificates if the owner or operator of the generating facility reg-
istered the generating facility with the Western Renewable Energy Generation Information System
on or after January 1, 2011.
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