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By Sara Odendahl, CEO, Bend Chamber
Last week, the Bend City Council held a work session on residential electrification and directed staff to accelerate development of a proposed carbon fee on the installation of natural gas appliances in new homes.
Under the City’s current approach, Council will determine the structure and amount of the fee, while a joint committee of environmental, housing, and business advisory bodies will develop recommendations for incentive programs aimed at encouraging a transition to electric appliances.
This work is part of the City’s broader effort to reduce community-wide carbon emissions. While the Bend Chamber supports progress toward shared climate goals, we remain focused on Bend’s pressing housing affordability challenges, energy reliability constraints, and the cost-of-living impacts facing our workforce.
Community feedback underscores these concerns. In a public poll conducted July–August 2025:
- 67% of voters opposed fees on natural gas appliances in new homes
- 86% believed such fees would reduce energy reliability
- 80% supported continued innovation in renewable natural gas
In response, the Chamber has advocated for an incentive-first approach, including non-financial incentives and a time-limited pilot program that allows the City to test solutions, encourage innovation, and rely on local data before adding new costs or mandates.
City Council is expected to revisit this issue early in the new year. This is a critical window for the business community to provide input before key decisions are finalized. Chamber members are encouraged to share perspectives on affordability, reliability, and economic impacts by emailing council@bendoregon.gov or contacting City Councilors directly.
The Bend Chamber will continue to actively engage and advocate for practical,>info@bendchamber.org.
