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Oregon Renewable and Carbon-Free Energy and Electrification Initiative (2020)

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Oregon Renewable and Carbon-Free Energy and Electrification Initiative
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Election date
November 3, 2020
Topic
Energy and Environment
Status
Not on the ballot
Type
State statute
Origin
Citizens


The Oregon Renewable and Carbon-Free Energy and Electrification Initiative was not on the ballot in Oregon as an initiated state statute on November 3, 2020.

The measure would have required that 100 percent of electricity sales be from renewable or carbon-free sources by 2045 and that electric utilities invest in projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions.[1][2][3]

Text of measure

Ballot title

The draft ballot title for this measure would have been as follows:[3]

Mandates renewable energy sources for all retail electricity by 2045, investments to reduce greenhouse gasses[4]

Ballot summary

The draft ballot summary for this measure would have been as follows:[3]

Currently, the law requires that large and small utilities ensure that a minimum percentage of retail electricity sales be “qualifying electricity,” which includes electricity from “renewable energy sources” (defined by current law). Large utilities must provide 50% of electricity from renewable sources by 2040. Proposed measure mandates that 100% of retail sales of electricity to be supplied

by renewable energy sources and “carbon-free resources” (undefined) by 2045. Construction projects undertaken to comply with mandate, and valued at/above $50,000, must follow certain labor practices. Electric utilities shall invest in programs facilitating widespread “beneficial electrification” (defined) projects to reduce greenhouse gasses and seek to ensure that consumers benefit from transition to renewable energy sources and “carbon-free resources.” Other provisions.[4]

Full text

The full text of the measure is available here.

Path to the ballot

See also: Laws governing the initiative process in Oregon

The state process

In Oregon, the number of signatures required to qualify an initiated state statute for the ballot is equal to 6 percent of the votes cast for governor in the most recent gubernatorial election. Signatures for Oregon initiatives must be submitted four months prior to the next regular general election. State law also requires paid signature gatherers to submit any signatures they gather every month.

Moreover, Oregon is one of several states that require a certain number of signatures to accompany an initiative petition application. The signatures of at least 1,000 electors are required to trigger a review by state officials, a period of public commentary, and the drafting of a ballot title. Prior to gathering these initial 1,000 signatures, petitioners must submit the text of the measure, a form disclosing their planned use of paid circulators, and a form designating up to three chief petitioners. The 1,000 preliminary signatures count toward the final total required.

The requirements to get an initiated state statute certified for the 2020 ballot:

In Oregon, signatures are verified using a random sample method. If a first round of signatures is submitted at least 165 days before an election and contains raw, unverified signatures at least equal to the minimum requirement, but verification shows that not enough of the submitted signatures are valid, additional signatures can be submitted prior to the final deadline.

Details about this initiative

  • Lisa Adatto, Chrissy Reitz, and Eric C. Richardson filed the initiative on October 7, 2019. The measure was filed with Initiative #48.[2]
  • Petitioners submitted initial sponsorship signatures on October 25, 2019.[2]
  • On December 19, 2019, the Oregon Secretary of State rejected the petition citing that it did not comply with Oregon's single-subject rule.[2]
  • On January 23, 2020, a court order reinstated the petition.[2]
  • The initiative was not cleared for circulation.[2]

See also

External links

Footnotes