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Debate over adding hydropower to Oregon RPS surfaces in Senate committee hearing
Summary
Senate Bill 634 would allow existing hydroelectric generation to count toward Oregon's renewable portfolio standard; sponsors said it recognizes hydropower's reliability and storage-like properties while opponents warned it could blunt incentives for new clean generation and harm the state's clean-energy transition.
Senate Bill 634 would expand the types of electricity that can count toward Oregon’s Renewable Portfolio Standard to include hydroelectricity from existing facilities, the Senate Committee on Energy and Environment heard on March 17. Sponsors said including hydroelectricity recognizes an established, renewable, dispatchable resource; opponents said the original RPS intentionally excluded legacy hydro so it would drive new investment in wind, solar and other emerging resources.
Daniel Bonham, state senator for the Mt. Hood region, told the committee that hydropower is “absolutely clean. It is renewable. It is available, it acts as a battery, in many cases,” and cited ancillary benefits such as flood control and navigation. Senator David Brock Smith, sponsor and long‑time member on energy issues, said Oregon is among the few states that do…
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