Bill > HB3422

This bill amends Oregon Revised Statute 469.504 to modify the process by which the Energy Facility Siting Council (EFSC) can take an exception to statewide planning goals when evaluating proposed energy facilities. Specifically, the bill adds a new criterion to the existing standards for granting such an exception, requiring that the council must now demonstrate that areas not requiring a new exception cannot reasonably accommodate the proposed facility. This means that before granting an exception to a planning goal, the EFSC must first verify that alternative sites that would not require an exception are not feasible. The bill applies to goal exceptions taken by the EFSC on or after its effective date, which will be the 91st day following the adjournment of the 2025 regular legislative session. The change is intended to provide additional scrutiny and ensure that energy facilities are sited in the most appropriate locations while minimizing unnecessary deviations from established statewide planning goals.

Agriculture and Natural Resources

https://olis.oregonlegislature.gov/liz/2025R1/Measures/Overview/HB3422