2011 Oregon Revised Statutes
ORS Volume 11, Chapters 431 - 470
ORS Chapter 470
470.530 Qualifications; duties; certification program; sustainable energy territories.

(1) Except as provided in subsection (5) of this section, the Director of the State Department of Energy may establish qualifications for sustainable energy project managers and may exercise oversight to ensure project manager compliance with those qualifications. A project manager shall provide the promotion, technical and financial support and verifications necessary to administer the energy efficiency and sustainable technology loan program in the territory served by the project manager.

(2) The project manager shall serve a sustainable energy territory established by the director. The project manager shall provide loan program information and technical and financial information to promote energy efficiency and use of renewable energy at the neighborhood and community levels. The project manager shall be responsible for small scale local energy project verification and for monitoring program effectiveness for energy efficiency and sustainable technology loans and small scale local energy program loans. The project manager may administer the energy efficiency and sustainable technology loan program within the territory.

(3)(a) Except as provided in this subsection, the boundaries of a sustainable energy territory must be consistent with the service territory of a local electric utility.

(b) The boundaries of a sustainable energy territory may be consistent with the service territory of a local gas utility if:

(A) The local electric utility is a consumer-owned electric utility that elects not to be the project manager for the sustainable energy territory; and

(B) The service territory of the local electric utility and the service territory of the local gas utility overlap.

(c) Notwithstanding paragraphs (a) and (b) of this subsection, if the project manager for the sustainable energy territory is other than the Public Purpose Fund Administrator or a consumer-owned utility, the director may adjust the boundaries of the territory or create a larger or smaller territory if the director believes that the territory boundaries as adjusted or created by the director would better accomplish the goals of the energy efficiency and sustainable technology loan program.

(4) A city, county, metropolitan service district or other local government entity, or a nonprofit, for-profit, tribal or state entity, may be a project manager if the entity meets the qualifications established by the director under this section and is approved by the director to provide promotion, outreach and customer support related to the energy efficiency and sustainable technology loan program within a sustainable energy territory. The Public Purpose Fund Administrator is an ex officio sustainable energy project manager. The Public Purpose Fund Administrator shall act as the project manager in any sustainable energy territory that is not served by another project manager.

(5) The director shall establish a sustainable energy project manager certification program. However, the Public Purpose Fund Administrator or a consumer-owned utility is not required to obtain a sustainable energy project manager certificate and the Public Purpose Fund Administrator is not subject to any qualifications established by the director for a project manager. [2009 c.753 7; 2010 c.92 8]