(1) The Legislative Assembly finds and declares it to be in the public interest and for a public purpose that cities, districts, electric cooperatives and electric utility companies participate as authorized in ORS § 225.450 to 225.490 jointly and with other persons to:

(a) Achieve economies of scale in the generation of electricity;

(b) Meet the future power needs of this state and its inhabitants; and

(c) Participate in transactions useful for the development of an efficient system for the transmission and distribution or marketing of electric power and related goods and commodities.

(2) ORS § 225.450 to 225.490 shall be construed liberally to effectuate the purposes set out in subsection (1) of this section. [1967 c.603 § 3; 1999 c.865 § 35]