A bill introduced at the request of Democratic state governor Kate Brown, which would modify the provisions for attributing renewable energy certificates to certain types of thermal energy, passed the state Senate on Feb. 6.

• Under the new bill, a thermal energy facility would qualify for a renewable energy certificate if it generates electricity from the combustion of wood that is not treated with certain chemical preservatives such as creosote, pentachlorophenol or chromated copper arsenate.
• Established in 2007, Oregon’s renewable portfolio standard mandates 50 percent renewables by 2040 for large investor-owned utilities and 25 percent by 2025 for large consumer-owned utilities.
• Eligible technologies include biomass, geothermal energy, small hydropower, solar photovoltaic and solar thermal, thermal energy, wave, tidal, and ocean thermal energy and wind energy.