Rep. Sherrie Sprenger, R-Scio, partnered with Rep. Jim Thompson, R-Dallas, and introduced House Bill 3608 last week before the House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee to advocate for jobs and the viability of the timber industry.
The bi-partisan bill HB 3608 establishes a tax credit for the transportation of woody biomass from forests to biofuels producers, a tax credit for biomass electrical generation, and a tax credit for the purchase of equipment to collect or process waste materials. The bill also directs the Oregon Department of Energy to conduct a study of biomass facility sites in Oregon.
“This legislation is a result of ideas generated from timber representatives in my district,” Sprenger said. “These folks are the experts in the industry. As our state climbs out of this recession, I want to ensure that the timber industry remains healthy. We have the potential to create jobs, fund education, and keep our rural communities alive with this vast renewable resource”
The Pacific Northwest generates as much as 1,000 trillion btu of biomass fuel each year. However, competing uses and the cost of collection and transportation put a strain on the amount that is available for energy production. Only one-third of the total biomass fuel generated annually may be economically on hand for electric power production in the region. This bill would help further the effort to use the resources as well as potentially assist in keeping logging equipment and infrastructure for timber companies.
“This is a practical way to generate jobs in our struggling rural communities across the state. In addition, this is a common sense way to use the woody biomass found at mill sites and slash piles that are currently being burned into renewable energy,” Sprenger said.
HB 3608 is pending further action in the House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee.
Thompson introduced a similar bill during the 2009 session. Despite bipartisan support, it wasn’t approved by the House Revenue Committee. With Oregon still in deep economic recession, he said it’s time for the Legislature to reconsider and pass this job-creation bill.
“HB 3608 is a great bill for job creation and a win-win for Oregon’s environment,” he said. “It’s time to pass this bill and put rural Oregonians back to work.”