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Committee hears testimony supporting extension for Oregon offshore wind roadmap; bill would push report deadline to 2027
Summary
House Bill 3963 would extend by more than a year the Department of Land Conservation and Development's deadline to deliver an offshore wind roadmap, touting more time for community, tribal and stakeholder engagement after federal leasing delays; supporters said the extension carries no fiscal impact.
The House Committee on Rules held a public hearing May 19 on House Bill 3963, which would extend the Department of Land Conservation and Development's (DLCD) deadline to draft and submit an offshore wind roadmap from Sept. 1, 2025, to Jan. 1, 2027, and would extend the statute's sunset to Jan. 2, 2027.
Julia DeGraw, senior West Coast campaign manager for the National Wildlife Federation, testified on behalf of 22 organizations in support of the bill. "We urge that the bill pass out of committee with a due pass recommendation and that it be referred to Senate Rules Committee," she said, adding the extension would allow "ample time ... for robust and meaningful community and tribal engagement." DeGraw said the groups supporting the extension include environmental justice, labor, civic, conservation and renewable energy organizations involved in the roadmap process.
Alexis Hammer, legislative and policy manager at DLCD, told the committee the extension was requested after delays in the federal leasing process for offshore wind. "When HB 4080 passed, DLCD was actively conducting a review of a federal leasing proposal... Then 4 out of the 5 bidders of that leasing process dropped out and litigation began, slowed down the federal process," Hammer said. She described the extension as allowing fuller engagement with tribes, local communities, fisheries, industry, labor and environmental groups and noted the Oregon Department of Energy is producing an energy strategy this year that could inform the roadmap. Hammer stated the proposal carries no fiscal or revenue impact.
Randy Stintinoviatoro, senior policy manager with BlueGreen Alliance, also testified in support, emphasizing supply-chain and port opportunities and saying the roadmap could help Oregon position itself for future offshore-wind-related economic development.
Some legislators expressed skepticism about the need for an extension given current federal headwinds and questioned whether the delay would increase taxpayer costs. DLCD staff and proponents replied in the hearing that existing staff will continue the work and that the bill does not carry additional fiscal impact.
The committee closed public testimony; no committee vote on the bill is recorded in the transcript of the Rules Committee meeting.
