HOUSE COMMITTEE ON ADVANCING E-GOVERNMENT

March 29, 2001 Hearing Room E

3:30 PM Tapes 29-30

MEMBERS PRESENT: Rep. Jim Hill, Chair

Rep. Rob Patridge, Vice-Chair

Rep. Kathy Lowe

VISITING MEMBER: Rep. Bill Garrard

STAFF PRESENT: Mark Jolley, Committee Administrator

Alice Morton, Committee Assistant

MEASURE/ISSUES HEARD: HB 3164 – Public Hearing

HB 3209 – Public Hearing

These minutes are in compliance with Senate and House Rules. Only text enclosed in quotation marks reports a speaker’s exact words. For complete contents, please refer to the tapes.

TAPE/#	Speaker	Comments
TAPE 29, A
003	Chair Hill	Calls committee to order at 3:30 p.m. and opens public hearing on HB 3209.
HB 3209 – Public Hearing
007	Mark Jolley	Gives overview of HB 3209, which establishes the Oregon Renewable Energy Center and delineates funding sources.
012	Rep. Butler	Testifies on behalf on HB 3209. Makes introductory remarks regarding the Renewable Energy Center at the Oregon Institute of Technology.
092	Martha Ann Dow	President, Oregon Institute of Technology (OIT). Gives brief history of the current energy center at OIT, and further explains their proposal for developing an academic and educational based center.
125	John Yarbrough	Professor, OIT. Further elaborates on the OIT renewable energy center proposal. Uses PowerPoint presentation and provides printed materials reflecting the PowerPoint presentation and others. (EXHIBIT A).
360	Jeff Bissonnette	Fair and Clear Energy Coalition. Testifies against the bill, says the public purpose money is not intended for this kind of expenditure.
TAPE 30, A
040	Bissonnette	Continues presentation and answers questions from Chair Hill.
075	Brad Higbee	Renewable NorthWest Project. Said they are excited about the center at OIT, but not the source of funding since it proposes taking money from public purpose funds meant for low-income.
185	Debra Kennedy	Assistant Director, Family Services, Salvation Army. Members of Fair and Clean Energy Coalition and participated to create HB 1149. Says funding the renewable energy center is not consistent with the original intent of the bill.
210	Chair Hill	Asks why she does not think it is appropriate use.
220	Kennedy	Replies the money was designed to go to weatherization, conservation, renewable, and that an institution’s funding should come from another resource. Say’s the idea of the center is good, but with other dollars.
250	Chair Hill	Says he disagrees with her and that it does not diminish the dollars going to weatherization, etc, because those are different categories within the public purpose dollars.
270	Rep. Patridge	Says it is consistent and he does not agree, except that it must go through the Trust.
280	Kennedy	Says she agrees with that.
285	Douglas Still	Oregon Caucus of the NW Energy Coalition. Testifies against the bill.
350	Rep. Gerard	Asks if he would still oppose the bill if his organization supported it.
355	Still	Says he supports development of the center, but not with the Trust funds from SB 1149.
380	Varner Seaman	Oregon Energy Project Coordinator, Community Action Directors of Oregon. Speaks in opposition to HB 3209 and submits written remarks (EXHIBIT B).
420	Chair Hill	Asks what he proposes to fund the center.
425	Seaman	Replies, apply for funds through the Trust.
427	Jay Formick	Oregon HEAT. Testifies opposing the bill.
485	John Patterson	Mr. Sun Solar and President, Oregon Solar Energy Industry Association. Testifies against the bill.
500	Jason Eisdorfer	Citizen Utility Board, (CUB). Opposes HB 3209 and the use of public purpose funds to support the OIT renewable energy center.
TAPE 29, B
050	Rep. Gerard	Asks clarifying questions regarding CUB intent.
060	Eisdorfer	Says that is not what he said, but that 1149 money is for on the ground projects. Says he supports research and development, but that funding it is not the intent of 1149.
095	Rep. Lowe	Asks clarifying question.
100	Eisdorfer	Maintains his position about using the public purpose money.
200	Ron Eachus	Public Utility Commission. Speaks to funding streams within the 1149 and the funding distribution.
215	Rep. Patridge	Says he did not support 1149, he feels no affinity for the funding distribution, and will vote for HB 3209.
250	Ron Eachus	Says he is here to answer questions. Says the PUC does not think the bill is appropriate. Adds they thought the main purpose of the bill is different than the HB 3209 presents. Says the PUC want s to keep as much of the integrity as possible. Their other concern is that is only applies to a portion of the ratepayers in the state, and in 1/3 of the state the ratepayers are not contributing to this fund.
300	Rep. Patridge	Asks for clarification as to implementation schedule, who will be on the Trust and what its purpose is.
310	Eachus	Details the implementation process and distribution factors.
TAPE 30, B
040	Eachus	Continues presentation.
080	Rep. Patridge	Says he feels there is conflicting information about the distribution of trust funds and that is even more confusing.
110	Eachus	Responds and further clarifies the funding issue. Says the PUC is ultimately responsible, even thought they will send the money to a nonprofit board, and the board will make the operational decisions.
135	Chair Hill	Asks the timeline for setting up the board and when it becomes operational.
140	Eachus	Responds and defers to another staff member for exact date.
175	Martha Anne Dow	President, OIT. Clarifies the proposed role of OIT Renewable Energy Center. Says the intent is technical assistance and information dissemination.
197	Rep. Lowe	Asks if there are restrictions in the proposed budget related to administrative costs.
200	Eachus	Says no, the legislation does not specify any set amount for administrative costs.
275	Chair Hill	Expresses appreciation for Mr. Eachus’s presence at the committee meeting.
300	Chair Hill	Closes the public hearing on HB 3209 and adjourns the meeting at 5:10 p.m.

Submitted By, Reviewed By,

Alice Morton, Mark Jolley,

Committee Assistant Committee Administrator

EXHIBIT SUMMARY

A – HB 3209 – PowerPoint presentation, plus printed material, Oregon Institute of Technology, 11pp.

B – HB 3209, opposition remarks, Varner Seaman, 1p.