The Oregon Department of Energy facilitates the administration of SB 1149 funds in cooperation with school districts.
Senate Bill 1149 directed Oregon's two largest utilities,
Portland General Electric and
Pacific Power , to collect a "public purpose charge" from their customers.
The charge collected is equal to 1.5 percent of the total revenues from electricity services. Twenty percent of those funds collected go to schools districts to complete energy audits or fleet audits. They can then implement energy efficiency measures in public schools within the PGE and Pacific Power service areas or purchase zero emissions vehicles or electric vehicle chargers within the school districts
School improvements can include new windows, upgraded heating and
cooling systems, building envelope improvements, energy efficient lighting, domestic
hot water systems, and more.
Schools using SB 1149 public purpose funds:
- Complete energy
audits of SB 1149-eligible
school buildings.
Audits must be completed by an Qualified Energy Audit
firm; or
- Complete a fleet audit
for the school district using Fleet
Audit spreadsheet.
- Implement the approved
Energy Efficiency Measures identified in the audits and report final costs in
the Schools Interactive Database.
- Purchase or lease zero
emissions vehicles.
- Purchase and install
electric vehicle chargers.
- Report all final costs including
audits, Energy Efficient Measures, commissioning, zero emissions vehicles and
electric vehicle chargers.
- Report monthly energy
use and cost information for eligible facilities in the Schools
Interactive Database each year.