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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 op‑ed urging data‑driven policy; the city attorney advised that the board cannot act as a body to endorse outside publications.
The request for a pilot came during public comment and discussion that ranged from housing costs to questions about the electricity supply needed to support broader electrification. "Can Pacific Power provide enough power if the gas utilities are being reduced?" asked David De Burger, who represents UA Local 290 plumbers and steamfitters and the Oregon State Building Construction Trades Council. He pressed staff for clarity on capacity, the source and timing of low‑carbon power and the reliability of the grid.
The board heard a presentation from Nate Merrill, Central Oregon outreach manager for Energy Trust of Oregon, who described programs that provide cash incentives, technical studies and no‑cost direct LED lighting for eligible small businesses. Merrill said Energy Trust is ratepayer funded and "fuel neutral," adding that the organization can measure prescriptive energy and carbon savings for participants but that commercial data are limited for nonparticipating businesses.
Members repeatedly urged better local data and more outreach before a fee is finalized. Staff described a temporary joint committee on electrification that council plans to form, with three seats for BDAB, three for the affordable housing advisory committee and three for the environment and climate committee; nonvoting utility representatives would also participate to inform the data collection. Staff said the joint committee would advise council but would not set the fee level.
Board members voted to authorize drafting an expedited letter to council urging the joint committee and council to consider an outcomes‑based pilot and to prioritize outreach and data collection. The motion to draft the letter was approved by voice vote; the letter was to be completed and circulated to the board for approval before the council meeting later in the week.
Next steps: staff will compile questions raised during public comment for utility and staff responses, the joint committee nominations will be finalized for council appointments in February, and the board will review the expedited letter prior to council consideration.
