Contractor Licensing

Summary

SB 932, enacted earlier this spring, establishes a limited license for renewable energy technicians who complete a two-year apprenticeship program and pass an examination approved by the Electrical and Elevator Board. Persons with this license are able to install systems up to 25kW. A license can also be granted to a person with 4,000 hours of on-the-job training, with at least 40 hours of electrical specialty code training, and can pass a Board-approved exam. The license would be independent of any "certification" program that might occur at a later date. A grandfather clause allows hours to be accumulated until 2003. Though the legislation’s effective date is January 1, 2002, it is anticipated that rules will not be in place until October 2002.

The Oregon Energy Office (OEO) plans to submit rules to tie all state tax credits to systems that have either been installed or inspected by a licensed renewable energy contractor.

Lane Community College in Eugene, Oregon, plans to integrate SB 932 into its environmental sciences degree program and also wants to become an accredited institution.