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Wednesday, April 11, 2007

News From My Backyard: Oregon Senate Passes Renewable Energy Standard With Two-Thirds Majority

Landmark Renewable Energy Bill Passes Senate Floor Vote With Bipartisan Support

[Please see full disclosure at end of post]

The Oregon Renewable Energy Act, SB 838, passed the Oregon Senate yesterday by a vote of 20-10. The bill received bipartisan support with Republican Senators Jason Atkinson (Grants Pass) and Bruce Starr (Hillsboro) joining all but one Senate Democrat in support of this landmark clean energy legislation. Senator Joanne Verger (D-Coos Bay) was the lone Democrat to vote "no" on the bill.

SB 838 now heads to the House of Representatives for hearings beginning as early as next week.


Despite this landmark success in the Senate, the effort to pass the Oregon Renewable Energy Act is not over.

Although the Act has received overwhelming support from investor owned utilities, municipal utilities, cities, counties, labor, advocates, tribes, businesses, farmers, students, the Public Utility Commission, and the Governor, the few remaining opponents continue to try to weigh the bill down.

If you are an Oregon voter, I strongly encourage you to contact your State Representative and ask them to vote yes for SB 838 when it comes to floor in the House.

Stay tuned for continued coverage as the Oregon Renewable Energy Act progresses through the Oregon Legislature...


Resources:

  • Powering Oregon's Future - Information and Resources on SB 838, the Oregon Renewable Energy Act
  • Summary of SB 838
  • Previous post on SB 838 passing out of committee
  • Previous posts here and here on Senate Committee Hearings for Oregon Renewable Energy Act



  • [Full disclosure: I work for Renewable Northwest Project, key advocates of the proposed Renewable Energy Standard. I am responsible for maintaining the Powering Oregon's Future website and am responsible for most of it's content. I should be no means be considered an 'unbiased party' but have done my best to report in a factual and balanced manner the events that have transpired during the hearings on SB 838.]

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