Bill Text: OR SB554 | 2011 | Regular Session | Introduced

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft

---

Bill Title: Relating to renewable energy resource development areas; appropriating money; declaring an emergency.

Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill

Status: (Failed) 2011-06-30 - In committee upon adjournment. [SB554 Detail]

Download: Oregon-2011-SB554-Introduced.html

---

     76th OREGON LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY--2011 Regular Session

NOTE:  Matter within  { +  braces and plus signs + } in an
amended section is new. Matter within  { -  braces and minus
signs - } is existing law to be omitted. New sections are within
 { +  braces and plus signs + } .

LC 1506

                         Senate Bill 554

Sponsored by Senator EDWARDS, Representatives READ, THOMPSON;
  Senator BOQUIST, Representatives GILLIAM, HUFFMAN, JENSON
  (Presession filed.)

                             SUMMARY

The following summary is not prepared by the sponsors of the
measure and is not a part of the body thereof subject to
consideration by the Legislative Assembly. It is an editor's
brief statement of the essential features of the measure as
introduced.

  Creates Task Force on Renewable Resource Generation and
Transmission Development Areas.
  Sunsets task force on date of convening of 2013 legislative
session.
  Declares emergency, effective on passage.

                        A BILL FOR AN ACT
Relating to renewable energy resource development areas; and
  declaring an emergency.
Be It Enacted by the People of the State of Oregon:
  SECTION 1.  { + (1) The Task Force on Renewable Resource
Generation and Transmission Development Areas is established,
consisting of 19 members selected to serve or appointed as
follows:
  (a) The following individuals are selected to serve:
  (A) The Director of the State Department of Energy, or the
director's designee.
  (B) The Director of the Department of Land Conservation and
Development, or the director's designee.
  (C) The Executive Director of the League of Oregon Cities, or
the executive director's designee.
  (D) The Executive Director of the Association of Oregon
Counties, or the executive director's designee.
  (E) The Director and Chief Executive of the National Renewable
Energy Laboratory of the United States Department of Energy, or
the director and chief executive's designee.
  (b) The President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of
Representatives and the Governor shall, by mutual consent,
appoint one member.
  (c) The President of the Senate shall appoint two members who
are not affiliated with an entity or group otherwise represented
among the members selected or appointed.
  (d) The Speaker of the House of Representatives shall appoint
two members who are not affiliated with an entity or group
otherwise represented among the members selected or appointed.
  (e) The Governor shall appoint:
  (A) Two members representing consumer-owned utilities that
distribute electricity.

  (B) Two members representing investor-owned utilities that
distribute electricity.
  (C) One member representing solar electricity generation
technologies.
  (D) One member representing wind electricity generation
technologies.
  (E) One member representing renewable energy technologies other
than solar or wind.
  (F) One member representing agricultural interests in Oregon.
  (G) One member representing the federally recognized Indian
tribes in Oregon.
  (2) The task force shall:
  (a) Identify renewable resource generation development areas
within this state that have potential to support industry
development among renewable energy developers for development of
renewable resource generation projects.
  (b) Develop a map of existing generation resources and
transmission lines and potential renewable resource generation
development areas within this state that have potential to
support competition among renewable energy developers for
development of renewable resource generation projects.
  (3) In the process of accomplishing subsection (2) of this
section, the task force shall:
  (a) Solicit and receive comments, including written comments,
from members of the public.
  (b) Consider and give weight to comments received from members
of the public, affected counties, cities, electric utilities,
customers of electric utilities, environmental groups and other
stakeholders or interested parties.
  (c) Consider:
  (A) The transmission needs of the renewable resource generation
development areas to locations in which customers can use the
renewable resources;
  (B) The potential development of various renewable resources,
including, but not limited to, wind, solar, low-impact
hydropower, tidal, wave, biomass, biofuel, ethanol and geothermal
resources;
  (C) The particular difficulty lesser concentrations of
renewable resources have in attracting development interest and
transmission investment;
  (D) The potential for local community development and
consumption of renewable resources; and
  (E) The quality, amount and commercial likelihood of the
development of the resource, including state and federal statutes
that explicitly prohibit the development of specific land
designations within this state.
  (4) The Director of the State Department of Energy shall
convene the task force.
  (5) A majority of the voting members of the task force
constitutes a quorum for the transaction of business.
  (6) Official action by the task force requires the approval of
a majority of the voting members of the task force.
  (7) The task force shall elect one of its members to serve as
chairperson.
  (8) If there is a vacancy for any cause, the appointing
authority shall make an appointment to become immediately
effective.
  (9) The task force shall:
  (a) Hold at least four meetings that are open to the public.
  (b) Meet at times and places specified by the call of the
chairperson or of a majority of the voting members of the task
force.
  (10) The task force may adopt rules necessary for the operation
of the task force.

  (11) The task force shall submit a report, and may include
recommendations for legislation, to the Legislative Assembly in
the manner described in ORS 192.245 on or before October 1, 2012.
  (12) The State Department of Energy:
  (a) Shall provide staff support to the task force.
  (b) May engage a mediator or other third-party facilitator to
assist the task force in accomplishing the duties imposed on the
task force by this section.
  (13) Members of the task force are not entitled to
compensation, but may be reimbursed for actual and necessary
travel and other expenses incurred by them in the performance of
their official duties in the manner and amounts provided for in
ORS 292.495. Claims for expenses shall be paid out of funds
appropriated to the State Department of Energy for purposes of
the task force.
  (14) All agencies of state government, as defined in ORS
174.111, are directed to assist the task force in the performance
of its duties and, to the extent permitted by laws relating to
confidentiality, to furnish information and advice that the
members of the task force consider necessary to perform their
duties. + }
  SECTION 2.  { + Section 1 of this 2011 Act is repealed on the
date of the convening of the 2013 legislative session. + }
  SECTION 3.  { + This 2011 Act being necessary for the immediate
preservation of the public peace, health and safety, an emergency
is declared to exist, and this 2011 Act takes effect on its
passage. + }
                         ----------