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Portland committee unanimously opposes bills that would upend net energy billing credits
Summary
Portland's legislative committee voted to oppose two pending bills (LD 32 and LD 257) that sponsors said would effectively eliminate net energy billing credits that the city receives from contracted solar projects, a change city staff said would erase more than $1 million in annual savings.
Portland's legislative committee voted to oppose two bills—identified in the meeting as LD 32 and LD 257—that city staff said would retroactively eliminate net energy billing credits for municipal projects and would threaten roughly $1 million a year in city savings.
Troy Moon, sustainability office staff, told the committee that the city has about 20 net energy billing agreements with solar developers and that the program has reduced Portland's utility expenses by "over a million dollars every year." Moon also said the program provides renewable energy credits that fund Portland's climate action fund.
The committee moved and seconded an "opposition" position on the two bills. The motion was made and carried by voice vote; the transcript records the procedural motion and a unanimous voice affirmation. Council members said the contracts are multi-decade (20-year) agreements made under prior program rules, and the proposed bills would have retroactive effect and large fiscal consequences for the city.
Ending: Committee members asked their lobbying counsel to add the two LDs to the committee's legislative tracker and to maintain an opposition posture while the bills proceed through the legislature.
