REPRESENTATIVE MATT WINGARD

OREGON HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

HOUSE DISTRICT 26

REP. WINGARD SUPPORTS BILL TO PROMOTE BIOMASS, HYDROGEN AS RENEWABLE ENERGIES

HB 2940 Updates Oregon’s Renewable Portfolio Standard

SALEM—Rep. Matt Wingard (R-Wilsonville) today supported HB 2940 to allow biomass electricity to comply with Oregon’s renewable portfolio standard (RPS). The bill also includes a provision to add hydrogen power stations as a fuel source to comply with RPS standards.

The 2007 Legislature approved the renewable portfolio standard (RPS) to require the largest utilities in Oregon to provide 25 percent of their retail sales of electricity from newer, clean, renewable sources of energy in 2025.

“Including biomass and hydrogen to be included in Oregon’s renewable portfolio standard will help our economy and reduce our dependence on foreign oil,” Rep. Wingard said. “HB 2940 helps Oregon harness the power of sustainable and renewable energy to create family wage jobs in some of the state’s most economically-distressed communities.”

Rep. Wingard said the bill fixes Oregon’s current RPS laws to enable biomass to be processed at locations closers to where the resources are harvested, enabling rural Oregon to better capitalize on an abundant renewable energy source. By adding hydrogen to the RPS, Oregon will position itself as a leader in the production and distribution of the energy.

“HB 2940 better enables Oregon to become a leader in the production of renewable energy,” Rep. Wingard said. “The legislation will reduce production costs for processing biomass, and will provide new incentives for developing hydrogen hubs in Oregon. This is a smart way to responsibly manage and utilize our natural resources to improve our economy.”  

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