2013 Oregon Revised Statutes
Volume : 11 - Public Health, Housing, Environment
Chapter 469A - Renewable Portfolio Standards
Section 469A.025 - Renewable energy sources; rules.

(1) Electricity generated utilizing the following types of energy may be used to comply with a renewable portfolio standard:

(a) Wind energy.

(b) Solar photovoltaic and solar thermal energy.

(c) Wave, tidal and ocean thermal energy.

(d) Geothermal energy.

(2) Except as provided in subsection (3) of this section, electricity generated from biomass and biomass by-products may be used to comply with a renewable portfolio standard, including but not limited to electricity generated from:

(a) Organic human or animal waste;

(b) Spent pulping liquor;

(c) Forest or rangeland woody debris from harvesting or thinning conducted to improve forest or rangeland ecological health and to reduce uncharacteristic stand replacing wildfire risk;

(d) Wood material from hardwood timber grown on land described in ORS 321.267 (3);

(e) Agricultural residues;

(f) Dedicated energy crops; and

(g) Landfill gas or biogas produced from organic matter, wastewater, anaerobic digesters or municipal solid waste.

(3) Electricity generated from the direct combustion of biomass may not be used to comply with a renewable portfolio standard if any of the biomass combusted to generate the electricity includes wood that has been treated with chemical preservatives such as creosote, pentachlorophenol or chromated copper arsenate.

(4) Electricity generated by a hydroelectric facility may be used to comply with a renewable portfolio standard only if:

(a) The facility is located outside any protected area designated by the Pacific Northwest Electric Power and Conservation Planning Council as of July 23, 1999, or any area protected under the federal Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, P.L. 90-542, or the Oregon Scenic Waterways Act, ORS 390.805 to 390.925; or

(b) The electricity is attributable to efficiency upgrades made to the facility on or after January 1, 1995.

(5)(a) Up to 50 average megawatts of electricity per year generated by an electric utility from certified low-impact hydroelectric facilities described in ORS 469A.020 (4)(a) may be used to comply with a renewable portfolio standard, without regard to the number of certified facilities operated by the electric utility or the generating capacity of those facilities. A hydroelectric facility described in this paragraph is not subject to the requirements of subsection (4) of this section.

(b) Up to 40 average megawatts of electricity per year generated by certified low-impact hydroelectric facilities described in ORS 469A.020 (4)(b) may be used to comply with a renewable portfolio standard, without regard to the number of certified facilities or the generating capacity of those facilities. A hydroelectric facility described in this paragraph is not subject to the requirements of subsection (4) of this section.

(6)(a) Direct combustion of municipal solid waste in a generating facility located in this state may be used to comply with a renewable portfolio standard. The qualification of a municipal solid waste facility for use in compliance with a renewable portfolio standard has no effect on the qualification of the facility for a tax credit under ORS 469B.130 to 469B.169.

(b) The total amount of electricity generated in this state by direct combustion of municipal solid waste by generating facilities that became operational in this state on or after January 1, 1995, may not exceed nine average megawatts per year for the purpose of complying with a renewable portfolio standard.

(7) Electricity generated from hydrogen gas, including electricity generated by hydrogen power stations using anhydrous ammonia as a fuel source, may be used to comply with a renewable portfolio standard if:

(a) The electricity is derived from:

(A) Any source of energy described in subsection (1) or (2) of this section; or

(B) A hydroelectric facility that complies with subsection (4) of this section and that is certified as a low-impact hydroelectric facility as described in ORS 469A.020 (4); and

(b) The output of the original source of energy is not also used to comply with a renewable portfolio standard.

(8) If electricity generation employs multiple energy sources, that portion of the electricity generated that is attributable to energy sources described in this section may be used to comply with a renewable portfolio standard.

(9) The State Department of Energy by rule may approve energy sources other than those described in this section that may be used to comply with a renewable portfolio standard. The department may not approve petroleum, natural gas, coal or nuclear fission as an energy source that may be used to comply with a renewable portfolio standard. [2007 c.301 §4; 2010 c.17 §3; 2010 c.71 §2]