Latest news with #PamMarsh
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Bill shielding Oregonians from utility rate increases by Big Tech heads to Kotek
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – A bill passed the Oregon legislature on Thursday, aiming to shield Oregonians from taking on increased utility rates from Big Tech facilities in the state. House Bill 3546, known as the Protecting Oregonians With Energy Responsibility (POWER) Act, would hold companies behind facilities such as data centers or cryptocurrency operations, responsible for their own utility bills, If signed into law, the bill would create a separate pricing system for energy users who demand more than 20 megawatts, or roughly the same usage as a small city, according to the Democratic Majority Office. Tillamook opens first owned-and-operated facility outside of Oregon 'Data centers play an important role in our growing technology needs in the United States, and they need to pay their fair share for infrastructure required to meet their energy needs, rather than passing the costs on to residential ratepayers,' said Senator Janeen Sollman (D – Hillsboro, Forest Grove & Rock Creek), a chief sponsor of the bill. 'Large energy users have the potential to place significant strain on the grid, especially in regions where energy capacity is already stretched thin.' 'The cost to serve certain large energy users is spilling on to other ratepayers,' added Rep. Pam Marsh (D – Southern Jackson County), a chief sponsor of the bill in the House of Representatives. 'This bill will help state regulators assign these high costs to the data centers and crypto mining entities that are consuming the energy.' The Democratic lawmakers note that industrial users currently pay about eight cents a kilowatt hour while households are charged more than double the rate at 19.6 cents per kilowatt hour. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now 'The bill helps protect everyday users, like families and small businesses, from paying the costs that big businesses are running up,' said Sen. Deb Patterson (D – Salem), who co-sponsored the POWER Act. 'Household budgets are stretched far enough as they are. They shouldn't be covering corporate costs, too.' The POWER Act passed the Senate in an 18-12 vote on Tuesday, with the Oregon House of Representatives concurring for the bill's final passage on June 5. The bill now heads to Oregon Governor Tina Kotek's desk for signature. When the bill was introduced in the House, Rep. David Brock Smith (R-Port Orford) raised concerns that the bill would discourage tech companies from growing their presence in Oregon. Drug trafficker sentenced to 15 years in prison after largest meth bust in Oregon history In his letter – which was supported by industry advocates such as the Data Center Coalition along with unions IBEW 48, IBEW 280 and UA 290 – Brock Smith said, 'data centers strengthen grid reliability through infrastructure investments and help stabilize residential electricity rates by providing consistent demand. The current proposed legislation, with its misaligned regulations, threatened these widespread community benefits and could discourage future development that supports our digital economy.' The bill comes as large technology companies are facing two growing demands to raise their energy supply for artificial intelligence and data centers, while meeting long-term goals of cutting greenhouse gas emissions, as reported by the Associated Press. AI uses 'vast amounts of energy,' said, noting a 2024 report from the United States Department of Energy estimated that the electricity needed for data centers in the U.S. tripled in the last decade and is anticipated to double or triple again in 2028, when tech companies could consumer 12% of the nation's energy. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Oregon bill shielding utility rate increases from Big Tech passes Senate
PORTLAND, Ore. () – A bill passed the Oregon Senate on Tuesday that would shield Oregonians from paying higher utility costs to cover electricity usage by Big Tech facilities in the state. House Bill 3546, known as the Protecting Oregonians with Energy Responsibility (POWER) Act, would hold companies behind facilities such as data centers or cryptocurrency operations, responsible for their own utility bills, the Democratic Majority Office announced in a press release. The bill would establish a separate pricing system for electricity users that use more than 20 megawatts – which is roughly the same amount used to power a small city, the lawmakers explained. Neighbors, PBOT fed up with NW 13th outdoor plaza 'Data centers play an important role in our growing technology needs in the United States, and they need to pay their fair share for infrastructure required to meet their energy needs, rather than passing the costs on to residential ratepayers,' said Senator Janeen Sollman (D – Hillsboro, Forest Grove & Rock Creek), a chief sponsor of the measure in the Senate. 'Large energy users have the potential to place significant strain on the grid, especially in regions where energy capacity is already stretched thin.' Since 2021, electric rates from some power companies have risen by nearly 50% and thousands of families have had their power shut off because they could not afford the bill, the Democratic office said, noting large industrial users pay about two cents per kilowatt hour, while households are charged more than triple that rate. 'The cost to serve certain large energy users is spilling on to other ratepayers,' said Rep. Pam Marsh (D – Southern Jackson County), a chief sponsor of the bill in the House of Representatives. 'This bill will help state regulators assign these high costs to the data centers and crypto mining entities that are consuming the energy.' Oregon hurdler somersaults over finish line to win state title 'Traditionally, growth in energy demand was relatively balanced across all users, justifying roughly equal distribution of costs. But the explosion of huge technology facilities has upended that traditional metric,' Marsh explained in a for the bill. 'Without intervention, the costs created by the disproportionate demand of big energy users will be borne by residential consumers who are already struggling.' 'The bill helps protect everyday users, like families and small businesses, from paying the costs that big businesses are running up,' Sen. Deb Patterson (D – Salem), a cosponsor of HB 3546, added in a statement after the bill's passage. 'Household budgets are stretched far enough as they are. They shouldn't be covering corporate costs, too.' The POWER Act passed the Senate in an 18-12 vote, moving the bill back to the Oregon House of Representatives for final passage. ICE used 'deceptive' practices to detain asylum seeker at Portland courthouse, attorneys say In written testimony against the bill, Rep. David Brock Smith (R-Port Orford) raised concerns that the bill would discourage tech companies from growing their presence in Oregon. In his letter – which was supported by industry advocates such as the Data Center Coalition along with unions IBEW 48, IBEW 280 and UA 290 – Brock Smith said, 'data centers strengthen grid reliability through infrastructure investments and help stabilize residential electricity rates by providing consistent demand. The current proposed legislation, with its misaligned regulations, threatened these widespread community benefits and could discourage future development that supports our digital economy.' The bill comes as large technology companies are facing two growing demands to raise their energy supply for artificial intelligence and data centers, while meeting long-term goals of cutting greenhouse gas emissions, as reported by the Associated Press. AI uses 'vast amounts of energy,' said, noting a 2024 report from the United States Department of Energy estimated that the electricity needed for data centers in the U.S. tripled in the last decade and is anticipated to double or triple again in 2028, when tech companies could consumer 12% of the nation's energy. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Oregon lawmakers OK changes to landmark bottle redemption law amid concerns over homelessness, drugs
Oregon lawmakers approved changes to the state's landmark bottle redemption law on Wednesday, allowing redemption sites that some say have become magnets for drugs and homelessness to refuse returns of empty beverage containers during nighttime hours. The trailblazing law to reduce littering by incentivizing recycling helped cement the state's reputation as a leader in the emerging environmental movement. It has also become a financial security net for many, including those experiencing homelessness. The legislation was drafted in response to concerns that the nation's first 'bottle bill,' signed into law in 1971, needed an update to address its interplay with the dual fentanyl addiction and homelessness crises in Oregon. 'This bill is responsive to concerns from retailers both large and small, as well as some of our constituents," said Democratic state Rep. Mark Gamba, who carried the bill on the House floor, adding that it would 'help to create a balance in our redemption system while maintaining the program we all seek to protect.' The bill passed the state House with broad bipartisan support, 48-4. It previously passed the state Senate 28-1. Democratic state Rep. Pam Marsh, who was among the four representatives to vote against the bill, had previously voiced her opposition during a committee hearing last week. Marsh said she worries the bill will undermine access to bottle and can redemption sites for people 'who need to turn in cans and bottles for immediate return because they actually need those dimes and those quarters to buy dinner, to help pay rent, to take care of basic life needs." Consumers currently pay a 10-cent deposit on eligible beverage cans and bottles. They get that deposit back when returning them at stores or redemption centers, which can hand count containers or provide counting machines and drop-off areas. People can sign up for accounts in which their refunds are deposited or choose cash redemptions. The state's bottle drop program had over a million account holders last year, according to the Oregon Beverage Recycling Cooperative, which operates the program on behalf of its distributor members. 'From its inception, Oregon's Bottle Bill has helped protect Oregon's ocean, beaches, roadsides and special places,' the cooperative said in its 2024 annual report, adding that hundreds of thousands of residents used redemptions 'to save for college or disability support and to save on groceries.' In recent years, however, some residents and store owners, particularly in Portland, have become frustrated with redemptions and what they describe as negative impacts on their neighborhoods and business operations. Currently, stores must accept container returns when they are open, and owners of all-night convenience stores, particularly in Portland, have expressed concerns about employee safety. The bill passed by lawmakers Wednesday would allow stores to across the state to refuse container returns after 8 p.m. In Portland, the bill would allow for alternative redemption sites, including possible mobile sites such as trucks that travel to different neighborhoods. Nonprofits would run the alternative sites for people who redeem containers every day, relieving the pressure on retailers, particularly downtown. Stores in an area with an alternative drop site could limit or refuse hand-counted returns, with convenience stores specifically allowed to stop them at 6 p.m. The proposal was supported by retailers and associations whose members include 'canners' and waste pickers who collect containers for income. In 2023, roughly 87% of eligible containers were returned for redemption, according to the Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission. That was the highest rate in the nation that year, according to the Oregon Beverage Recycling Cooperative.
21-05-2025
- Business
Oregon lawmakers OK changes to landmark bottle redemption law amid concerns
Oregon lawmakers approved changes to the state's landmark bottle redemption law on Wednesday, allowing redemption sites that some say have become magnets for drugs and homelessness to refuse returns of empty beverage containers during nighttime hours. The trailblazing law to reduce littering by incentivizing recycling helped cement the state's reputation as a leader in the emerging environmental movement. It has also become a financial security net for many, including those experiencing homelessness. The legislation was drafted in response to concerns that the nation's first 'bottle bill,' signed into law in 1971, needed an update to address its interplay with the dual fentanyl addiction and homelessness crises in Oregon. 'This bill is responsive to concerns from retailers both large and small, as well as some of our constituents," said Democratic state Rep. Mark Gamba, who carried the bill on the House floor, adding that it would 'help to create a balance in our redemption system while maintaining the program we all seek to protect.' The bill passed the state House with broad bipartisan support, 48-4. It previously passed the state Senate 28-1. Democratic state Rep. Pam Marsh, who was among the four representatives to vote against the bill, had previously voiced her opposition during a committee hearing last week. Marsh said she worries the bill will undermine access to bottle and can redemption sites for people 'who need to turn in cans and bottles for immediate return because they actually need those dimes and those quarters to buy dinner, to help pay rent, to take care of basic life needs." Consumers currently pay a 10-cent deposit on eligible beverage cans and bottles. They get that deposit back when returning them at stores or redemption centers, which can hand count containers or provide counting machines and drop-off areas. People can sign up for accounts in which their refunds are deposited or choose cash redemptions. The state's bottle drop program had over a million account holders last year, according to the Oregon Beverage Recycling Cooperative, which operates the program on behalf of its distributor members. 'From its inception, Oregon's Bottle Bill has helped protect Oregon's ocean, beaches, roadsides and special places,' the cooperative said in its 2024 annual report, adding that hundreds of thousands of residents used redemptions 'to save for college or disability support and to save on groceries.' In recent years, however, some residents and store owners, particularly in Portland, have become frustrated with redemptions and what they describe as negative impacts on their neighborhoods and business operations. Currently, stores must accept container returns when they are open, and owners of all-night convenience stores, particularly in Portland, have expressed concerns about employee safety. The bill passed by lawmakers Wednesday would allow stores to across the state to refuse container returns after 8 p.m. In Portland, the bill would allow for alternative redemption sites, including possible mobile sites such as trucks that travel to different neighborhoods. Nonprofits would run the alternative sites for people who redeem containers every day, relieving the pressure on retailers, particularly downtown. Stores in an area with an alternative drop site could limit or refuse hand-counted returns, with convenience stores specifically allowed to stop them at 6 p.m. The proposal was supported by retailers and associations whose members include 'canners' and waste pickers who collect containers for income. In 2023, roughly 87% of eligible containers were returned for redemption, according to the Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission. That was the highest rate in the nation that year, according to the Oregon Beverage Recycling Cooperative.
Winnipeg Free Press
21-05-2025
- Business
- Winnipeg Free Press
Oregon lawmakers OK changes to landmark bottle redemption law amid concerns over homelessness, drugs
Oregon lawmakers approved changes to the state's landmark bottle redemption law on Wednesday, allowing redemption sites that some say have become magnets for drugs and homelessness to refuse returns of empty beverage containers during nighttime hours. The trailblazing law to reduce littering by incentivizing recycling helped cement the state's reputation as a leader in the emerging environmental movement. It has also become a financial security net for many, including those experiencing homelessness. The legislation was drafted in response to concerns that the nation's first 'bottle bill,' signed into law in 1971, needed an update to address its interplay with the dual fentanyl addiction and homelessness crises in Oregon. 'This bill is responsive to concerns from retailers both large and small, as well as some of our constituents,' said Democratic state Rep. Mark Gamba, who carried the bill on the House floor, adding that it would 'help to create a balance in our redemption system while maintaining the program we all seek to protect.' The bill passed the state House with broad bipartisan support, 48-4. It previously passed the state Senate 28-1. Democratic state Rep. Pam Marsh, who was among the four representatives to vote against the bill, had previously voiced her opposition during a committee hearing last week. Marsh said she worries the bill will undermine access to bottle and can redemption sites for people 'who need to turn in cans and bottles for immediate return because they actually need those dimes and those quarters to buy dinner, to help pay rent, to take care of basic life needs.' Consumers currently pay a 10-cent deposit on eligible beverage cans and bottles. They get that deposit back when returning them at stores or redemption centers, which can hand count containers or provide counting machines and drop-off areas. People can sign up for accounts in which their refunds are deposited or choose cash redemptions. The state's bottle drop program had over a million account holders last year, according to the Oregon Beverage Recycling Cooperative, which operates the program on behalf of its distributor members. 'From its inception, Oregon's Bottle Bill has helped protect Oregon's ocean, beaches, roadsides and special places,' the cooperative said in its 2024 annual report, adding that hundreds of thousands of residents used redemptions 'to save for college or disability support and to save on groceries.' In recent years, however, some residents and store owners, particularly in Portland, have become frustrated with redemptions and what they describe as negative impacts on their neighborhoods and business operations. Monday Mornings The latest local business news and a lookahead to the coming week. Currently, stores must accept container returns when they are open, and owners of all-night convenience stores, particularly in Portland, have expressed concerns about employee safety. The bill passed by lawmakers Wednesday would allow stores to across the state to refuse container returns after 8 p.m. In Portland, the bill would allow for alternative redemption sites, including possible mobile sites such as trucks that travel to different neighborhoods. Nonprofits would run the alternative sites for people who redeem containers every day, relieving the pressure on retailers, particularly downtown. Stores in an area with an alternative drop site could limit or refuse hand-counted returns, with convenience stores specifically allowed to stop them at 6 p.m. The proposal was supported by retailers and associations whose members include 'canners' and waste pickers who collect containers for income. In 2023, roughly 87% of eligible containers were returned for redemption, according to the Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission. That was the highest rate in the nation that year, according to the Oregon Beverage Recycling Cooperative.
