Northwest Energy Efficiency Council

Nonprofit trade association of the energy efficiency industry

  • News
    • Job Postings
    • Member Press Releases
  • Events
  • NEEC Programs
    • Smart Buildings Center
    • Tool Lending Library
    • Building Operator Certification (BOC)
    • Clean Buildings Performance Standard Helpdesk
    • K-12 Ventilation & Indoor Air Quality Helpdesk
  • Members
  • Resources
    • Building Tune-Ups Service Providers
    • Portland Benchmarking Providers
    • Seattle Benchmarking Providers
  • About
    • Staff
    • Contact
  • Membership
You are here: Home / Oregon / Legislative Updates

Legislative Updates

April 1, 2011 By Brittany Quigley

Washington: Legislators received grim news from the state economist that predicted revenues to the state were being forecast downward, leaving lawmakers to scramble looking for additional spending cuts in the upcoming biennial budget. Energy legislation has largely taken a back seat as legislators look for budget solutions that would be acceptable to both House and Senate. Speculation has continued about whether the state will have a capital budget allocation this session (which has been the source of investment in public school energy efficiency projects in the past year). More will be known in the coming weeks as the budget deal begins to take shape. Legislation to create a “Clean Energy Partnership” which would assume a leadership role in a number of key programmatic and grant funding areas was folded into another bill that seeks to create a more broadly mandated statewide effort called Innovate Washington. A clean energy partnership would, in this legislation, become a program of Innovate Washington. (see ESB 5764) Since the bill has an appropriation with it, it must go through Ways and Means Committee and time is drawing very near for bill cutoff. (Legislatures impose deadlines for bills to move through their process or they die.)

Oregon: The NEEC priority legislation continues to make progress in the Legislature. While a number of bills have been introduced –as they are every year – to eviscerate the Energy Trust of Oregon, none of them appear to have gained any legislative traction and NEEC does not expect even a hearing on these bills. Our governmental affairs team in Salem is keeping a close watch on these bills and is poised to act should any of the show life. Proactively, our bill to establish energy performance disclosure requirements (residential and commercial) had a very positive hearing last week in Olympia. NEEC member companies provide expert testimony which was very convincing for committee members. Given the 30-30 tie in the Oregon House, this year’s rules require at least 2 supporting legislators from each party to move a bill forward. We are working hard to secure that support to keep this bill moving. NEEC also remains hopeful that intense behind the scenes negotiations will produce legislation that will extend the state’s BETC for energy efficiency. This is a very high priority item for NEEC and we are cautiously optimistic that the Legislature will preserve this important tax credit in the state. Similarly, conversations continue with key stakeholders on the contour of legislation that would create an investment pool for energy efficiency projects in Oregon public schools. If successful, this effort would also create the foundation for a broader innovative financing scheme for energy efficiency in the state. The Oregon legislative session will extend throughout the spring, so we may not see final action on these items for a number of weeks.
 

Filed Under: Oregon, Policy and Legislation, Washington

Subscribe to NEEC Updates via email

2022 Impact Snapshot

ECONorthwest Reports

Report cover

Two reports, commissioned by NEEC, provide quantitative results on the economic development effects of energy efficiency in WA and OR

View Reports

Events Calendar

Loading view.
  • There are no upcoming events.
  • March 2023

Calendar of Events

M Mon

T Tue

W Wed

T Thu

F Fri

S Sat

S Sun

0 events, 27

0 events, 28

0 events, 1

0 events, 2

0 events, 3

0 events, 4

0 events, 5

0 events, 6

0 events, 7

0 events, 8

0 events, 9

0 events, 10

0 events, 11

0 events, 12

0 events, 13

0 events, 14

0 events, 15

0 events, 16

0 events, 17

0 events, 18

0 events, 19

0 events, 20

0 events, 21

0 events, 22

0 events, 23

0 events, 24

0 events, 25

0 events, 26

0 events, 27

0 events, 28

0 events, 29

0 events, 30

0 events, 31

0 events, 1

0 events, 2

  • There are no upcoming events.
  • There are no events on this day.
  • There are no events on this day.
  • There are no events on this day.
  • There are no events on this day.
  • There are no events on this day.
  • There are no events on this day.
  • There are no events on this day.
  • There are no events on this day.
  • There are no events on this day.
  • There are no events on this day.
  • There are no events on this day.
  • There are no events on this day.
  • There are no events on this day.
  • There are no events on this day.
  • There are no events on this day.
  • There are no events on this day.
  • There are no events on this day.
  • There are no events on this day.
  • There are no events on this day.
  • There are no events on this day.
  • There are no events on this day.
  • There are no events on this day.
  • There are no events on this day.
  • There are no events on this day.
  • There are no events on this day.
  • There are no events on this day.
  • There are no events on this day.
  • There are no events on this day.
  • There are no events on this day.
  • There are no events on this day.
  • There are no events on this day.
  • There are no events on this day.
  • There are no events on this day.
  • There are no events on this day.
  • There are no events on this day.
View Calendar

Recent News Posts

Job Posting (Oregon): Energy Engineer/Energy Coach

March 23, 2023

Job Posting (Oregon): Measure Development Manager, Deadline 3/31

March 23, 2023

Tier 2 Rulemaking Kick-Off Webinar April 13th 10:30AM – 12PM

March 23, 2023

Puget Sound Energy’s 2023 Accelerator program is open for business

March 17, 2023

CEM Training at the SBC, May 1st-5th

March 17, 2023

LinkedIn   Facebook

Northwest Energy Efficiency Council · Pacific Tower, 1200 12th Ave. S., Suite 110, Seattle, WA 98144 · info@neec.net · Contact Us

© 2023 · Northwest Energy Efficiency Council