The House of Representatives voted unanimously in favor of the bill, which headed to Governor Brown.

Last week, the Oregon House of Representatives voted on Senate Bill 333 which would pave the way for renewable hydrogen fuel in the state. The vote was unanimously in favor and was sent onward to receive Governor Brown’s signature.

The new measure mandates that the Oregon State Department of Energy explore and study the benefits of – and hurdles to – renewable hydrogen fuel production and use. The findings of the investigation must be delivered to the Legislature by September 15, 2022. Senator Lee Beyer (D-Springfield) was the bill’s primary sponsor in the Senate.

The House voted unanimously in favor of the bill, which had bipartisan co-sponsorship on the House floor. Representatives Ken Helm (D-Washington County) and David Brock Smith (R-Port Orford) were among those who did so.

“This study will help identify appropriate legislative and regulatory actions needed for producing and using renewable hydrogen in ways that make the most sense to decarbonize Oregon’s economy,”
Senator Beyer

“This is a growing industry that could help Oregon meet its greenhouse gas reduction goals and create jobs, and we look forward to the information the study will provide,”
Representative Helm

“As Oregon considers offshore wind development, there is the opportunity to use some of that clean power to make renewable hydrogen which is a real economic development opportunity for coastal communities,”
Representative Brock Smith

According to Michelle Detwiler, executive director of the Renewable Hydrogen Alliance (RHA), the data gathered and insights acquired from the study undertaken as a result of Bill 333’s passage “will be tremendously beneficial and vital for creating a viable renewable hydrogen business in Oregon.” The purpose is to give the state the tools it needs to create “a favorable policy climate, as well as subsequent investment and project development.” Renewable hydrogen fuel, according to Detwiler, is a key component of the state’s plan to transition to sustainable energy and transportation in a timely manner.