Senate committee advances bill to speed use of grid-enhancing technologies

The Senate Committee on Energy and Environment voted May 21 to advance House Bill 3336, which requires electric companies filing resource or grid-investment plans with the Oregon Public Utility Commission to analyze and propose grid-enhancing technologies (GETs) and other transmission upgrades.

The bill’s sponsor, Representative Mark Gamba, House District 41, told the committee the legislation aims to “make the most out of our existing transmission systems, which buys us some time to do the work to build more transmission.” The committee adopted a dash-4 amendment, which Chair Solman and members said refines timing, definitions and local-government procedures before the bill goes to the floor.

Why it matters: GETs are techniques and equipment that can increase capacity or performance on existing transmission lines without immediately building new lines. Supporters say using GETs can reduce near-term…