(1) A public utility providing electricity or natural gas may enter into a written agreement with an organization that represents broad customer interests in regulatory proceedings conducted by the Public Utility Commission relating to public utilities that provide electricity or natural gas. The agreement shall govern the manner in which financial assistance may be provided to the organization. The agreement may provide for financial assistance to other organizations found by the commission to be qualified under subsection (2) of this section. More than one public utility or organization may join in a single agreement. Any agreement entered into under this section must be approved by the commission before any financial assistance is provided under the agreement.

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(2)(a) Financial assistance under an agreement entered into under this section may be provided only to organizations that represent interests in regulatory proceedings before the commission relating to public utilities that provide electricity or natural gas that are:

(A) The broad interests of customers;

(B) The interests of low-income residential customers; or

(C) The interests of residential customers that are members of environmental justice communities.

(b) The commission by rule shall establish such qualifications as the commission deems appropriate for determining which organizations are eligible for financial assistance under an agreement entered into under this section.

(c) The total aggregate financial assistance available to all organizations that represent the interests described in paragraph (a)(B) and (C) of this subsection from all public utilities providing electricity or natural gas may not exceed $500,000 annually.

(d) The commission shall establish a process for evaluating and approving an agreement described in this section that includes the provision of financial assistance to organizations that represent the interests described in paragraph (a)(B) or (C) of this subsection. The commission must evaluate and approve an agreement described in this paragraph before financial assistance may be provided under the agreement. The agreement described in this paragraph shall govern the manner in which financial assistance may be provided to an organization found by the commission to be qualified under paragraph (a)(B) or (C) of this subsection. More than one public utility or organization may join in a single agreement described in this paragraph.

(3) In administering an agreement entered into under this section, the commission by rule or order may determine:

(a) The amount of financial assistance that may be provided to any organization;

(b) The manner in which the financial assistance will be distributed;

(c) The manner in which the financial assistance will be recovered in the rates of the public utility under subsection (4) of this section; and

(d) Other matters necessary to administer the agreement.

(4) The commission shall allow a public utility that provides financial assistance under this section to recover the amounts so provided in rates. The commission shall allow a public utility to defer inclusion of those amounts in rates as provided in ORS § 757.259 if the public utility so elects. An agreement under this section may not provide for payment of any amounts to the commission. [2003 c.234 § 2; 2021 c.90 § 3]

Sections 4 and 5, chapter 90, Oregon Laws 2021, provide:

The Public Utility Commission shall, no later than September 15, 2025, provide a report to the interim committees of the Legislative Assembly related to energy that discusses, for the period beginning on the effective date of this 2021 Act [January 1, 2022] and ending December 31, 2024, the implementation and impacts of the amendments to ORS § 757.072 by section 3 of this 2021 Act. The report shall include, but need not be limited to:

(1) A description of the process established under ORS § 757.072 (2)(d) and any other rules, orders, processes or polices adopted or established by the commission as necessary to implement the amendments to ORS § 757.072 by section 3 of this 2021 Act; and

(2) A detailed description of the organizations described in ORS § 757.072 (2)(a)(B) and (C) that received funding during the period subject to reporting that includes, for each organization, a description of:

(a) The proceedings for which the organization received financial assistance;

(b) The amount of financial assistance received by the organization for each proceeding;

(c) The issues raised by the organization in each proceeding for which the organization received financial assistance; and

(d) The outcome within each proceeding with regard to the issues described in paragraph (c) of this subsection. [2021 c.90 § 4]

Section 4 of this 2021 Act is repealed on January 2, 2026. [2021 c.90 § 5]

[Repealed by 1971 c.655 § 250]