Electrification

A plumbers and steamfitters representative opposed the council's electrification direction, arguing it raises energy costs without reducing emissions and ignores industry experts.

A lifelong Bend resident and young advocate expressing anger that the council chose a weaker fee after seven years of advocacy.

Said the fee is a compromise but urged applying a comparable fee to non-efficient electric appliances, which he said emit more carbon than gas appliances.

Opposed the fee, criticizing council for deciding before hearing from Cascade Natural Gas and calling the tax a hit on affordability and reliability.

Opposed the natural gas appliance fee, urging the council to slow down and get all the data including Pacific Power's rate-increase filing.

Opposed the fee over its disproportionate impact on lower-income households and questioned forecasts underlying the policy.

Urged the council to set the fee at the maximum level aligned with the EPA's social cost of carbon.

Argued 20% is insufficient and urged the full social cost of carbon, citing long-term climate costs.

A Caldera High School junior urging the full social cost of carbon, saying local governments must fight for her generation's future.

Urged the full social cost of carbon, saying young advocates have seen years of inaction.

Urged passage of the full climate fee, arguing grid concerns belong at the federal level.

Focused on the safety dangers of natural gas in homes and supported a robust climate impact fee.

Called the fee smart market-based policy that gives buyers choice and avoids costly retrofits later.

An electrical design engineer urging the full social cost of carbon, discussing grid capacity and large electrical loads.

Supported a strong climate pollution fee on new homes, noting it could fund upgrades for existing residents.

A grandfather urging a meaningful fee so young homebuyers have electric options.

Spoke in support of a stronger fee set at the full social cost of carbon.

Urged the full social cost of carbon, citing her daughter's future under rising extreme heat.

A businesswoman and mother urging the council to have the courage to act for future generations.

A conservation scientist urging the full social cost of carbon, citing snowpack loss and clean-energy job growth.

A Sierra Club organizer presenting a 19-organization letter supporting a strong fee and citing wildfire-smoke deaths in Oregon.

An IBEW Local 280 apprentice wireman testified against forced electrification, citing grid reliability concerns and asking the city to await state energy policy action.

With utility and HVAC industry experience, defended the fee, rebutted renewable natural gas claims, and cited health risks of gas in homes.

A Laborers Local 737 member opposed electrification mandates, citing construction costs and brownout risks, and favored keeping renewable natural gas in the mix.

CoEnergy Propane's president urged the council to pause the gas fee, citing studies projecting a 9-gigawatt Pacific Northwest electricity shortfall by 2030.

A Laborers Local 737 representative acknowledged gas is finite but urged a slower, 25-year approach with a pilot project of roughly 100 homes.

A UA Local 290 plumber/steamfitter organizer argued all-electric mandates increase coal burning since Pacific Power's electricity is mostly fossil-fueled, and worsens affordability.

An iron workers representative cited polling showing 67% of Bend voters oppose taxes on gas appliances and urged council to stop work on the fee.

A Laborers Local 737 member urged keeping natural gas as an affordable, reliable choice, citing the 67% poll figure against gas taxes.

With the Oregon State Building Trades Council, she asked the council to postpone the February 11 vote until stakeholder questions about emissions data and grid capacity are answered.

The Northwest Gas Association CEO opposed the proposed fee on new natural gas service, warning of grid capacity strain and affordability risks without regional coordination.

A retired 40-year electric utility veteran argued the fee works like a gas ban and could raise costs, strain the grid, and even increase carbon emissions.

A Local 290 business agent cited Pacific Power filings projecting 10-140% rate increases and urged the council to postpone all electrification votes and include Pacific Power in discussions.

A Local 290 representative asked the council to postpone staff direction on electrification, warning of job impacts and calling for a transparent process.

Another Local 290 agent cautioned against using Ashland's gas appliance fee as a model, saying Bend's growth and energy mix are very different.

The Cascades East Association of Realtors urged collecting Bend-specific grid and rate data first and suggested a pilot project with non-monetary incentives instead of a fee.

The Bend Chamber CEO underscored the joint letter on data sequencing and highlighted alignment between the Chamber's legislative agenda and the city's, especially on recreational liability reform.

Said there isn't enough data, goals, budget, or utility input to design an electrification fee yet.

Central Oregon Builders Association asked for an electrification pilot to study costs, grid capacity, and utility impacts before policy decisions.

Asked council to pause the electrification fee, arguing climate benefits are speculative while housing costs rise now.

Urged the committee to consider proven tactics like heat pumps and tankless water heaters rather than focusing only on a fee.

Bend Chamber CEO asked council to build a pilot program into the committee's scope, citing estimates that electrification adds roughly $9,700 per housing unit.