HB 3628
Establishes the Oregon Electric Transmission Authority as an independent public corporation.
Jurisdiction
Oregon
Session
2025 Regular Session
Committee
Climate, Energy, and Environment
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Sign in to take actionPublic sentiment
Support
87%
Oppose
13%
- Introduced
- Passed House
- Passed Senate
- To Governor
- Became Law
Bill overview
This bill establishes the Oregon Electric Transmission Authority as an independent public corporation to finance, build, and operate electric transmission infrastructure in Oregon. The authority will identify transmission corridors, issue revenue bonds, and collect charges from large industrial electricity customers to fund its operations. A Tribal Advisory Council will also be created to advise the authority on issues affecting tribal communities. The authority’s annual budget is limited, and a review of its effectiveness is required before January 2, 2032.
Key provisions
- Creates the Oregon Electric Transmission Authority as an independent public corporation.
- Authorizes the authority to finance transmission projects through revenue bonds and charges.
- Establishes a Tribal Advisory Council to advise the authority on tribal issues.
- Limits the authority’s annual operating budget to $2 million.
- Requires the collection of a nonbypassable charge from large industrial electricity customers.
- Mandates an annual report to the Legislative Assembly on the authority’s activities.
- Requires a review of the authority’s effectiveness by the State Department of Energy.
- Sets a sunset date for the authority’s existence (January 2, 2032).
Who is affected
- Electric utility customers
- Large industrial electricity customers
- Tribal communities
- State residents
- Oregon Electric Transmission Authority
Notable changes
Sponsors
Official sponsors from legislative records.
Primary sponsor
Cosponsors
Arguments in favor
Reasons to support this legislation.
Supporters of House Bill 3628 advocate for establishing an independent Oregon Electric Transmission Authority to plan, finance, and implement needed transmission systems for electricity reliability and mitigating climate change. They emphasize the need to address a shortfall in electric-transmission capacity, expand transmission capacity to meet growing energy demands, increase resilience to severe weather events, and deliver clean energy to Oregonians without compromising affordability. Proponents also highlight the importance of a comprehensive approach to upgrading the grid, including the deployment of grid-enhancing technologies, low-cost revenue bonds, and limited annual budgets, to ensure a sustainable future and minimize the impact on nature and communities.
Source: Testimony Summaries
Arguments opposed
Reasons to oppose this legislation.
Opponents of HB 3628 express concerns about the proposed Oregon Transmission Authority, citing potential negative impacts on rural communities and Native American lands. They argue that the authority's creation could lead to land grabs, exclusion of local electric utility sectors from decision-making processes, and a loss of private property rights. Additionally, critics warn that adding new bureaucrats and an independent group of unpaid citizens to make critical decisions may introduce unnecessary complexity, recruiting challenges, and potential legal infirmities, while also unfairly allocating funding to large energy users.