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83rd OREGON LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY--2025 Regular Session
Enrolled
House Bill 2065
Introduced and printed pursuant to House Rule 12.00. Presession filed (at the request of House In-
terim Committee on Climate, Energy, and Environment for Representative John Lively)
CHAPTER .................................................
AN ACT
Relating to the interconnection process; and prescribing an effective date.
Be It Enacted by the People of the State of Oregon:
SECTION 1.
Section 2 of this 2025 Act is added to and made a part of ORS chapter 757.
SECTION 2. (1) As used in this section:
(a) “Community microgrid” means a microgrid that is located within a geographical area
that a local government, as defined in ORS 197.015, designates as a microgrid zone.
(b) “Microgrid” means a group of interconnected loads and distributed energy resources
within clearly defined electrical boundaries that functions as a single controllable system,
irrespective of whether the microgrid is operating independently of or in conjunction with
an electric grid.
(c) “Public utility” means a utility regulated by the Public Utility Commission under ORS
chapter 757 that provides electric power to consumers.
(d) “Technical data” includes:
(A) Substation and circuit load profiles;
(B) Geographic information system maps of utility infrastructure;
(C) Equipment specifications, age and capacity ratings;
(D) The maximum amount of power that can be added to a distribution system without
requiring infrastructure upgrades for distributed energy resources;
(E) Protection coordination schemes and fault current data; and
(F) Standards, tariffs and technical requirements for interconnection.
(2) When a person applies to a public utility for authority to interconnect a microgrid
or community microgrid with the public utility’s transmission or distribution system and the
public utility concludes that the proposed interconnection requires a study or engineering
evaluation, the person shall have the option to:
(a) Agree to have the public utility conduct the study or evaluation; or
(b) Contract with a third-party consultant to conduct the study or evaluation, subject to
the public utility’s reasonable review and approval of the study or evaluation.
(3) A person that agrees to have the public utility conduct the study or engineering
evaluation under subsection (2) of this section shall reimburse the public utility for the rea-
sonable costs incurred by the public utility in performing the study or evaluation.
(4) A public utility may, as a technical collaborator, contract with a third-party consult-
ant to conduct the study or engineering evaluation requested under subsection (2) of this
section.
Enrolled House Bill 2065 (HB 2065-B) Page 1
(5) A report that is produced from a study or engineering evaluation conducted under
subsection (2) of this section and has received a professional engineer stamp approving the
report shall be considered a final report for purposes of review by a public utility of an ap-
plication to interconnect a microgrid or community microgrid with the public utility’s
transmission or distribution system.
(6)(a) If a person contracts with a third-party consultant to conduct a study or evalu-
ation under subsection (2)(b) of this section, the third-party consultant may submit a written
request to a public utility for all technical data necessary to conduct the study or evaluation.
The public utility shall provide the technical data:
(A) Within 21 days from the date of the request; and
(B) In a standardized, machine-readable format, except as otherwise agreed.
(b) A public utility may redact data from the technical data that the public utility pro-
vides if disclosure of the data jeopardizes grid security or violates federal or state law. If a
public utility redacts data, the public utility shall provide a mutually acceptable alternative
that enables the third-party consultant to conduct the study or evaluation.
(c) A public utility shall clearly identify information the public utility provides that is
proprietary.
(d) A public utility shall designate a liaison who is available to clarify data, resolve am-
biguities and explain technical requirements during the design phase.
(e) A public utility may charge for the reasonable and actual costs incurred by the public
utility in preparing and providing technical data under this subsection.
(7)(a) A third-party consultant who is conducting a study or evaluation under subsection
(2)(b) of this section may submit to a public utility a preliminary design for review by the
public utility. The preliminary design may include proposed microgrid and distributed energy
resources specifications and alignment with technical data.
(b) A public utility shall provide within 30 days from the date a preliminary design is
submitted written feedback on the preliminary design that identifies potential compliance
issues or modifications to the design that are needed.
(c) A third-party consultant may incorporate feedback and submit an interconnection
application along with a final report to the public utility.
(d) A public utility may not charge for conducting a preliminary design review under this
subsection.
(8)(a) A public utility has sole authority to approve or deny an application to interconnect
a microgrid or community microgrid with the public utility’s transmission or distribution
system under this section. The decision to approve or deny an application must be based on
safety, reliability and compliance with published standards.
(b) In reviewing applications under this section, a public utility shall prioritize the review
of applications that are based on designs that adhere to and incorporate published standards,
technical data provided by the public utility and feedback provided under subsection (7) of
this section. A public utility shall approve or deny an application that is given priority under
this paragraph within 90 days from the date the application is submitted to the public utility.
(9) This section does not apply to an interconnection between a microgrid or community
microgrid and a public utility that is subject to the jurisdiction of the Federal Energy Reg-
ulatory Commission.
SECTION 3.
Notwithstanding any other law limiting expenditures, the limitation on ex-
penditures established by section 1 (1), chapter ___, Oregon Laws 2025 (Enrolled House Bill
5034), for the biennium beginning July 1, 2025, for the utility program, as the maximum limit
for payment of expenses from fees, moneys or other revenues, including Miscellaneous Re-
ceipts, but excluding lottery funds and federal funds, collected or received by the Public
Utility Commission of Oregon, is increased by $335,136 for the purpose of carrying out section
2 of this 2025 Act.
Enrolled House Bill 2065 (HB 2065-B)Page 2
SECTION 4. This 2025 Act takes effect on the 91st day after the date on which the 2025
regular session of the Eighty-third Legislative Assembly adjourns sine die.
Passed by House June 23, 2025
..................................................................................
Timothy G. Sekerak, Chief Clerk of House
..................................................................................
Julie Fahey, Speaker of House
Passed by Senate June 24, 2025
..................................................................................
Rob Wagner, President of Senate
Received by Governor:
........................M.,........................................................., 2025
Approved:
........................M.,........................................................., 2025
..................................................................................
Tina Kotek, Governor
Filed in Office of Secretary of State:
........................M.,........................................................., 2025
..................................................................................
Tobias Read, Secretary of State
Enrolled House Bill 2065 (HB 2065-B) Page 3