(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.