Oregon energy hearing draws wide support for heat-pump and solar rebates; utilities warn against 18% assessment increase

Co-chair Levy opened a Feb. 11 public hearing on Senate Bill 5518 and Senate Bill 5519, the Oregon Department of Energy budget and companion fee bill, which drew more than a dozen in-person and remote testimonies pressing the Legislature to prioritize funding for heat-pump deployment, community renewable grants and solar/storage rebates while cautioning against a proposed 18% increase in the Energy Supplier Assessment.

Advocates front‑loaded calls to restore or add new state funding for two programs that help lower bills and increase resilience: a rental heat‑pump program and the Community Heat Pump Deployment Program. "These programs protect some of Oregon's most vulnerable residents," said Joey Boa, executive director of the Oregon Just Transition Alliance. Multiple speakers asked the Legislature to reinvest $30,000,000 in the rental heat‑pump program and $15,000,000 in the community heat‑pump deployment program for the 2025–27 biennium.

The request reflected administrators' testimony about current shortfalls. Molly Hatfield, senior manager at Earth Advantage and an administrator for the Community Heat Pump Deployment Program in the Northwest Region, said the program has overseen 249 installations in…