Oregon Statutes 470.560 – Rules; certification standards; provision for preferred service providers
(1) The State Department of Energy shall adopt rules establishing certification standards for primary contractors participating in the construction of small scale local energy projects financed through the energy efficiency and sustainable technology loan program. The department shall design the standards to ensure that the project work performed by a primary contractor holding the certification and all the primary contractor’s subcontractors is of high quality and will result in a high degree of customer satisfaction.
Terms Used In Oregon Statutes 470.560
- Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
- Energy efficiency and sustainable technology loan: means a loan for a small scale local energy project that is repayable by means of:
(a) A charge included with the participant's utility customer account billing; or
(b) An alternative repayment method identified by the department and the borrower and specified in the loan agreement. See Oregon Statutes 470.050
- Loan: includes the purchase or other acquisition of evidence of indebtedness and money used for the purchase or other acquisition of evidence of indebtedness. See Oregon Statutes 470.050
- Primary contractor: means a contractor that:
(a) Has entered into a contract with an owner of property for which a proposed small scale local energy project will be located;
(b) Is responsible for the completion of the small scale local energy project;
(c) Undertakes to complete the small scale local energy project; and
(d) Is responsible for any subcontractors performing work on the small scale local energy project. See Oregon Statutes 470.050
- Public Purpose Fund Administrator: means the entity designated by the Public Utility Commission to administer moneys collected by a company through the public purpose charge described under ORS § 757. See Oregon Statutes 470.050
(2) The certification standards established by the department must, at a minimum, require that the primary contractor:
(a) Prove that the primary contractor and the primary contractor’s subcontractors have sufficient skill to successfully install energy efficiency, renewable energy or weatherization projects.
(b) Not be a contractor listed by the Commissioner of the Bureau of Labor and Industries under ORS § 279C.860 as ineligible to receive a contract or subcontract for public works.
(c) Be an equal opportunity employer or small business or be a disadvantaged business enterprise, a minority-owned business, a woman-owned business, a veteran-owned business or an emerging small business, as those terms are defined in ORS § 200.005.
(d) Demonstrate a history of compliance with the rules and other requirements of the Construction Contractors Board and of the Workers’ Compensation Division and the Occupational Safety and Health Division of the Department of Consumer and Business Services.
(e) Employ at least 80 percent of employees used for energy efficiency and sustainable technology loan program projects from the local work force, if a sufficient supply of skilled workers is available locally.
(f) Demonstrate a history of compliance with federal and state wage and hour laws.
(g) Pay wages to employees used for energy efficiency and sustainable technology loan program projects at a rate equal to at least 180 percent of the state minimum wage.
(3) The State Department of Energy shall consult with the Public Purpose Fund Administrator and utilities when developing certification standards for primary contractors.
(4) The Construction Contractors Board may issue a qualifying primary contractor a certification authorizing the primary contractor to participate in the construction of small scale local energy projects financed through the energy efficiency and sustainable technology loan program. A primary contractor seeking certification shall apply to the board as provided under ORS § 701.119.
(5) The State Department of Energy shall identify certified primary contractors that provide employees with health insurance benefits as preferred service providers and may take other actions as practicable to encourage certified primary contractors to provide employees with health insurance benefits. [2009 c.753 § 13; 2013 c.8 § 2; 2015 c.565 § 23; 2023 c.497 § 24]