We, the MCAT Transportation Committee (Mobilizing Climate Action Together), are writing in support of passing this stopgap bill to sustain maintenance and safety of our transportation system at current levels of function.
Category: 2025 Session
MCAT Legislative Lookback July 17, 2025
While this session had significant disappointments, MCAT members’ great work guided many bills successfully, and they ended so close to success, but stuck in the Ways & Means Committee in this year of funding uncertainty. These bills are stepping stones to success in that they passed out of committee and many of them might have become law in a year with more available funding. They are bills we are likely to try again.
PERS Fund Climate Risks (HB 2081)
Requires the State Treasurer and the Oregon Investment Council to manage climate change risks to the state’s public pension fund.
Timber Severance Tax (HB 3489)
Imposes a severance tax on owners of timber harvested from public or private forestland
Reducing Food Waste (HB 3018)
Requires businesses that cook, assemble, process, serve or sell food to recover and dispose of food waste.
Grid Enhancement Technologies (HB 3336)
Requires Oregon electric utilities to create strategic plans to incorporate Grid Enhancement Technologies into their future plans.
Public Finance Task Force (HB 2966)
Creates a State Public Finance Task Force to study public banking and other public
financing options.
One-Stop Shop (HB 3081)
Requires Oregon’s Department of Energy to expand its all-encompassing, single-resource directory of energy efficiency and incentives programs
Electricity Transmission Permitting (HB 3681)
Streamline regulations to enable faster and simpler transmission planning.
Thermal Energy Networks (SB 1143)
Directs Oregon’s Public Utilities Commission to establish a pilot program for natural gas companies to develop heating and cooling networks
Performance-Based Regulation of Electric Utilities (SB 688)
Allows Oregon's Public Utility Commission to regulate electric companies under a new
framework that better reflects the public interest.
POWER ACT (Big Data Center bill) (HB 3546)
Requires electric companies to impose a charge on big data centers that are large electricity consumers, and mitigate any increased costs to other consumers.
Statewide Fuel Infrastructure (HB 2152)
Requires ODOE to develop and implement a state-wide Disaster Reserves Plan for liquid fuels.
CEI Hub Transition (HB 3450)
Requires DEQ to produce a strategic energy storage transition plan by 2026.
Hydrogen Transparency (SB 685)
Requires gas utilities to notify the Public Utility Commission before blending hydrogen with natural gas
Methane Monitoring (SB 726)
Requires owner/operators of landfills to regularly monitor and report methane emissions from its surface
Distributed Power Plants (HB 3609)
Requires electric companies to develop programs for expanding distributed power plants
Zero Emission School Bus Act (HB 2945)
Requires new rules for accelerating the transition to zero-emission school buses.
Fuels Fiscal Responsibility (HB 2949)
Requires owners of bulk oil or liquid fuels terminals to show they can pay for spills.
Advanced Clean Truck Rule (HB 3119)
NOTE – MCAT has taken a position IN OPPOSITION to this bill! Prohibits the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality from implementing its regulations on zero emissions trucks, until January 1, 2027.
Right to a Healthy Environment (SJR 28)
Creates a ballot measure that, if passed, creates a new state right to a healthy environment