As used in this chapter, unless the context requires otherwise:
(1) “Alternative fuel project” means:
(a) A fleet of vehicles that are modified or acquired directly from a factory and that:
(A) Use an alternative fuel including electricity, ethanol, gasohol with at least 10 percent denatured alcohol content, hydrogen, hythane, methane, methanol, natural gas, propane or any other fuel approved by the Director of the State Department of Energy; and
(B) Produce lower or equivalent exhaust emissions or are more energy efficient than vehicles fueled by gasoline; and
(b) A facility, including a fueling station, necessary to operate an alternative fuel vehicle fleet.
(2) “Applicant” means an applicant for a small scale local energy project loan.
(3) “Committee” means the Small Scale Local Energy Project Advisory Committee created under ORS 470.070.
(4) “Cooperative” means a cooperative corporation organized under ORS chapter 62.
(5) “Director” means the Director of the State Department of Energy appointed under ORS 469.040.
(6) “Eligible federal agency” means a federal agency or public corporation created by the federal government that proposes to use a loan for a small scale energy project. “Eligible federal agency” does not include a federal agency or public corporation created by the federal government that proposes to use a loan for a small scale energy project to generate electricity for sale.
(7) “Eligible state agency” means a state officer, board, commission, department, institution, branch or agency of the state whose costs are paid wholly or in part from funds held in the State Treasury.
(8) “Loan” includes the purchase or other acquisition of evidence of indebtedness and money used for the purchase or other acquisition of evidence of indebtedness.
(9) “Loan contract” means the evidence of indebtedness and all instruments used in the purchase or acquisition of the evidence of indebtedness. For eligible federal or state agencies or municipal corporations that are tax exempt entities, a loan contract may include a lease purchase agreement with respect to personal property.
(10) “Loan fund” means the Small Scale Local Energy Project Loan Fund created by Article XI-J of the Oregon Constitution.
(11) “Municipal corporation” has the meaning given in ORS 297.405 and also includes any Indian tribe or authorized Indian tribal organization or any combination of two or more of these tribes or organizations acting jointly in connection with a small scale local energy project.
(12) “Oregon business” means a sole proprietorship, partnership, company, cooperative, corporation or other form of business entity that is organized or authorized to do business under Oregon law for profit.
(13) “Recycling project” means a facility or equipment that converts waste into a new and usable product.
(14) “Small business” means:
(a) An Oregon business that is:
(A) A retail or service business employing 50 or fewer persons at the time the loan is made; or
(B) An industrial or manufacturing business employing 200 or fewer persons at the time the loan is made; or
(b) An Oregon subsidiary of a sole proprietorship, partnership, company, cooperative, corporation or other form of business entity for which the total number of employees for both the subsidiary and the parent sole proprietorship, partnership, company, cooperative, corporation or other form of business entity at the time the loan is made is:
(A) Fifty or fewer persons if the subsidiary is a retail or service business; and
(B) Two hundred or fewer if the subsidiary is an industrial or manufacturing business.
(15) “Sinking fund” means the Small Scale Local Energy Project Administration and Bond Sinking Fund created in ORS 470.300.
(16) “Small scale local energy project” means:
(a) A system, mechanism or series of mechanisms located primarily in Oregon that directly or indirectly uses or enables the use of, by the applicant or another person, renewable resources including, but not limited to, solar, wind, geothermal, biomass, waste heat or water resources to produce energy, including heat, electricity and substitute fuels, to meet a local community or regional energy need in this state;
(b) A system, mechanism or series of mechanisms located primarily in Oregon or providing substantial benefits to Oregon that directly or indirectly conserves energy or enables the conservation of energy by the applicant or another person, including energy used in transportation;
(c) A recycling project;
(d) An alternative fuel project;
(e) An improvement that increases the production or efficiency, or extends the operating life, of a system, mechanism, series of mechanisms or project otherwise described in this subsection, including but not limited to restarting a dormant project;
(f) A system, mechanism or series of mechanisms installed in a facility or portions of a facility that directly or indirectly reduces the amount of energy needed for the construction and operation of the facility and that meets the sustainable building practices standard established by the State Department of Energy by rule; or
(g) A project described in paragraphs (a) to (f) of this subsection, whether or not the existing project was originally financed under this chapter, together with any refinancing necessary to remove prior liens or encumbrances against the existing project.
(h) A project described in paragraphs (a) to (g) of this subsection that conserves energy or produces energy by generation or by processing or collection of a renewable resource. [1979 c.672 §1; 1981 c.50 §1; 1983 c.188 §1; 1985 c.593 §2; 1993 c.496 §4; 1995 c.551 §8; 1997 c.29 §1; 1999 c.365 §7; 2003 c.186 §55; 2005 c.201 §3]
Section: 470.050 470.060 470.065 470.070 470.080 470.085 470.090 470.100 470.110 470.120 470.130 470.135 470.140 470.145 470.150 NextLast modified: August 7, 2008