Senate panel advances consumer-protection bill for residential solar sales
Get AI-powered insights, summaries, and transcripts
Sign Up Free
Summary
HB 4,029 A, which would require licensed sales agents, a plain-language disclosure form and clearer contract elements for residential solar, was moved to the Senate floor after testimony from contractors, industry groups and consumer advocates about deceptive sales and predatory lending.
The Senate Energy and Environment Committee on Feb. 23 advanced House Bill 4,029 A to the Senate floor with a due-pass recommendation after hours of testimony from industry representatives, consumer-advocacy groups and the Oregon Department of Energy.
Local contractors and consumer advocates described repeated examples of deceptive sales tactics in rooftop solar transactions. "She'd been told that solar was for free, and it would not cost her anything. Now she's stuck with a solar loan that she didn't know she had signed up for," Tristan Kinsey, director of sales and operations at Earthlight Technology, told the committee, offering an example an elderly customer who paid more after a sales transaction than before. Kinsey and others said the bill’s required disclosures and fee reporting would level the playing field and reduce consumer complaints.
Angela Crowley Cook of the Oregon Solar and Storage Industries Association outlined the bill's major elements: contracts must be executed by licensed sales agents or contractors; section 3 creates a new disclosure form in plain language requiring installer identity, full price including fees and taxes, timelines, expected production and bill‑savings estimates, warranties, tax incentives and rescission information; section 4 specifies required contract elements; and sections 6–7 provide enforcement under the Unlawful Trade Practices Act and permit a private right of action. An amendment added in the House requires transfer of workmanship warranties to new homeowners within the original warranty period, supporters said.
Chris Coughlin of Oregon Consumer Justice said the bill responds to three common consumer complaints — deceptive sales, poor installations and predatory lending — and urged the committee to support the measure. The Oregon Department of Energy representative described how the state’s solar rebate program interacts with contractor approvals and said stronger consumer protections help preserve confidence in rooftop solar programs.
Sen. Robinson objected to additional regulation, saying it could reduce competition and increase costs; supporters replied that the bill largely mirrors Washington state law and is intended to reduce complaints without materially raising costs.
Vice Chair Brock Smith moved HB 4,029 A to the Senate floor with a due-pass recommendation. The transcript records multiple 'Aye' votes and at least one 'No' (Sen. Robinson); the chair announced the motion carries. The committee closed its work session and adjourned for the day.