Oregon Revised Statutes Chapter 757 § 757.357 — Legislative findings; programs to accelerate transportation electrification;

Legislative findings; programs to accelerate transportation electrification; tariff schedules and rates; long-term stranded costs. (1) As used in this section: (a) “Electric company” has the meaning given that term in ORS 757.600. (b)(A) “Infrastructure measures” includes, but is not limited to, investments in, expenses related to or rebates for: (i) Distribution system infrastructure that supports transportation electrification; (ii) Communication and control technologies that support transportation electrification; and (iii) Behind-the-meter infrastructure that supports transportation electrification and is owned by an electric company or by a customer. (B) “Infrastructure measures” does not include investments in or expenses related to education and outreach activities related to transportation electrification, or other transportation electrification-related activities determined by the Public Utility Commission to be separate and distinct from the development of infrastructure. (c) “Retail electricity consumer” has the meaning given that term in ORS 757.600. (d) “Transportation electrification” means: (A) The use of electricity from external sources to provide power to all or part of a vehicle; (B) Programs related to developing the use of electricity for the purpose described in subparagraph (A) of this paragraph; (C) Infrastructure measures related to developing the use of electricity for the purpose described in subparagraph (A) of this paragraph; and (D) Programs related to supporting the adoption and service of vehicles powered as described in subparagraph (A) of this paragraph. (e) “Vehicle” means a vehicle, vessel, train, boat or any other equipment that is mobile. (2) The Legislative Assembly finds and declares that: (a) Transportation electrification is necessary to reduce petroleum use, achieve optimum levels of energy efficiency and carbon reduction, meet federal and state air quality standards, meet this state’s greenhouse gas emissions reduction goals described in ORS 468A.205 and improve the public health and safety; (b) Widespread transportation electrification requires that electric companies increase access to the use of electricity as a transportation fuel; (c) Widespread transportation electrification requires that electric companies increase access to the use of electricity as a transportation fuel in low and moderate income communities; (d) Widespread transportation electrification should stimulate innovation and competition, provide consumers with increased options in the use of charging equipment and in procuring services from suppliers of electricity, attract private capital investments and create high quality jobs in this state; (e) Transportation electrification and the purchase and use of electric vehicles should assist in managing the electrical grid, integrating generation from renewable energy resources and improving electric system efficiency and operational flexibility, including the ability of an electric company to integrate variable generating resources; (f) Deploying transportation electrification and electric vehicles creates the opportunity for an electric company to propose, to the commission, that a net benefit for the customers of the electric company is attainable; and (g) Charging electric vehicles in a manner that provides benefits to electrical grid management affords fuel cost savings for vehicle drivers. (3)(a) The commission shall direct each electric company to file: (A) Applications for programs to support transportation electrification; and (B) A plan, for acceptance by the commission, that integrates the electric company’s transportation electrification actions. (b) The applications and plan must be filed in a form and manner prescribed by the commission. (c) A program proposed by an electric company may include prudent investments in or customer rebates for electric vehicle charging and related infrastructure. (4) The commission may allow an electric company to recover costs from retail electricity consumers for prudent infrastructure measures to support transportation electrification if the infrastructure measures are consistent with and meet the requirements of subsection (5) of this section. (5) If undertaken by an electric company, an infrastructure measure to support transportation electrification is a utility service and a benefit to utility customers if the infrastructure measure can be reasonably anticipated to: (a) Support reductions of transportation sector greenhouse gas emissions over time; and (b) Benefit the electric company’s customers in ways that may include, but need not be limited to: (A) Distribution or transmission management benefits; (B) Revenues to utilities from electric vehicle charging to offset utilities’ fixed costs that may otherwise be charged to customers; (C) System efficiencies or other economic values inuring to the benefit of customers over the