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Business, labor and the Bend Chamber urge pilot study before advancing natural‑gas impact fee; advisory board to send letter
Summary
Business groups, labor and the Bend Chamber asked the advisory board to press council for a time‑limited pilot to measure costs, grid impacts and equity effects of a proposed natural‑gas impact fee; Energy Trust of Oregon presented incentive programs and said it is fuel neutral. The board authorized drafting a letter to council supporting consideration of a pilot.
Business and labor representatives told the Bend Economic Development Advisory Board on Tuesday that the city should fund a local, outcomes‑based pilot before moving ahead with a proposed natural‑gas impact fee intended to advance the city's climate goals.
Garrett Mosher of the Central Oregon Builders Association said the city is "moving forward with the natural gas impact fee without fully understanding its impact on housing affordability, grid reliability, and working Bend residents' ability to make ends meet," and asked the board to support "a time‑limited electrification pilot program to gather real local data." Sarah Odendahl, chief executive officer of the Bend Chamber, made a similar request and asked the board to sign a joint…
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