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Council delays finalizing electrification committee; presses for more data, equity input and possible pilot

City of Bend City Council · January 9, 2026
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Summary

Council reviewed a proposed temporary committee on electrification policy (TCEP) to recommend incentives and a potential fee on gas appliances, asked for more local data and equity input, and agreed to continue discussion at a Feb. 11 work session rather than appoint the committee tonight.

Staff proposed a temporary joint committee to examine nonfinancial and financial incentives to encourage electrification, including potential exemptions and a fee on natural-gas appliances to fund incentives. The charter called for representatives from existing advisory bodies, with ex officio utility representatives providing technical data.

Advisory board members and councilors pressed for more local cost and greenhouse-gas data, clarity on success metrics, equity analysis and involvement of the Human Rights & Equity Commission. Business groups and the Chamber urged piloting small-scale demonstrations to collect local data on costs, grid impacts and affordability before imposing citywide fees; others said local pilot projects may not be necessary if existing regional data and iterative implementation are used.

Council agreed to continue the conversation at a Feb. 11 work session with utilities invited to present capacity and load impacts and to refine the proposed committee scope and timeline; no appointments were made at this meeting.