MCAT-Climate.org – 2027 Legislative Outlook – October 13, 2026
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Clean Energy
● Establish the Oregon Electric Transmission Authority: Establish a State Authority to accelerate expansion of electricity transmission capacity. Rep. Gamba.
● Balcony (Plug-In) Solar: Clarify how small, simple, plug-in solar installations are legal and safe to use in Oregon to reduce residential & small business electricity bills and enhance community resilience. Rep. McDonald.
● Community-Based Power: Requires electrical utilities to develop a program that will allow small sources of electricity generation and storage to join and be compensated. Sen. Neron Misslin.
● Inclusive Utility Investment: Investor-Owned Utilities to provide loans for energy efficiency and strategic electrification without burden to the General Fund or ratepayers on a pilot basis.
● Community Solar Program Participation: Allows a small solar project (20 MWatts or less) to participate in the community solar program previously established.
● Local Energy Permitting Flexibility: Allow cities to require more energy-efficient building codes. Rep. Gamba.
● Local Transmission Permitting Flexibility: Allows transmission infrastructure projects to optionally choose the EFSC process or the local permitting process. Rep. Gamba.
● NextGen Highways: Enable state & county highways Right of Ways to be more easily used for transmission development. Rep. Andersen.
Transportation
● Transportation Funding Omnibus (Placeholder)
● CEI Hub Fuel Tank Seismic Stability (FTSS) Program Expansion: Expand the FTSS to include fuel storage tanks larger than 10,000 gallons and extend the program to all Oregon counties. Rep. Tran.
● Multifamily building EVs: Requires new multifamily construction to have EV chargers. Rep. Gamba.
● VMT Analysis: Requires estimate of impact of highway projects on vehicle miles traveled (VMT) and mitigation if a project is predicted to increase VMT. Rep. Gamba.
● Possible: Transit Funding Task Force: Determine the level of funding needed to maintain adequate transit service statewide and explore funding models. House Transportation Committee
General
● Data Center Omnibus: Requires self-generated clean energy, battery backup systems, no tax exemptions, best available tech and a community benefit agreement protecting health, environment, water and land use. Rep. Gamba.
● Data Center Moratorium – Pause on data centers (5MW or larger) for 3 years. Covers outline of regulations for use of renewable energy, prioritizes water and power for public use, and sets standards for noise, light, water and air pollution. Rep. Muñoz.
● Cap & Invest: Placeholder.
● Climate Resilience Superfund: Requires large fossil fuel companies to pay retroactive damages caused by anthropogenic climate change. Rep. Andersen.
● Climate as a Land Use Priority: Modernizing the Land Use process to include climate, clean energy and transmission projects on equal footing with other Oregon values. Rep. Gamba.
● Task Force on Public Financing Options: Creation of a Task Force to study and make recommendations concerning the establishment of public financing options. Rep. Gamba.
● Right to a Healthy Environment: House resolution to send a constitutional amendment guaranteeing the fundamental right to a safe, clean and healthy environment to voters. Rep. Gamba.
● Right to Cooling: Advances the right to cooling (the right for heating already exists) for renters, new construction and Energy Trust of Oregon customers. Rep. Marsh.
Forestry & Natural Lands
● Early Timber Harvest Fee – An early harvest fee for large timber owners who cut trees before maturity. Funds targeted to wildfire prevention and response, watershed restoration, and helping loggers and mills prepare for working with larger trees, Sen. Prozanski