Policy
Oregon Legislature Passes Historic Coal Transition Bill
The Oregon Legislative Assembly today approved a landmark bill that will commit the state to eliminate its use of coal power by 2035 and double the amount of clean, renewable energy serving Oregonians to 50 percent by 2040. Otherwise known as the Clean Electricity and Coal Transition plan, Senate Bill 1547-B received final approval on the Senate floor today after the Oregon House approved the bill in a 38-20 bipartisan vote on Tuesday.
Clean electricity and coal transition plan — now SB 1547A — faces another House vote and Senate concurrence
Oregon’s clean electricity and coal transition bill is once again headed for floor vote in the House. The original bill (HB 4036) passed the House on a 39-20 bipartisan vote more than a week ago. The bill re-emerged yesterday as SB 1547A, strengthened overall by amendments stemming from continued collaboration among various interests, including the Public Utility Commission.
Member spotlight: YMCA Earth Service Corps
To prepare the next generation of environmental leaders, the YMCA Earth Service Corps (YESC) helps young people from diverse backgrounds get outside, engage with their local community and gain tools to enhance the natural world. YESC empowers youth to create a healthier environment through education, service learning and leadership activities.
Oregon: Clean electricity and coal transition bill advances to Senate floor
House Bill 4036, Oregon’s clean electricity and coal transition plan, is headed for a Senate floor vote after being passed out of committee on Monday. The bill is the product of an historic collaboration between investor-owned utilities, clean energy/climate organizations and the state’s foremost consumer advocacy group. HB 4036 cleared the House last week on a 39-20 bipartisan vote.
Clean electricity/coal transition plan passes Oregon House!
Oregon’s clean electricity and coal transition plan, House Bill 4036, passed its first big test on Monday, clearing the House floor on a 39-20 bipartisan vote.
The vote reflected both the historic collaboration of investor-owned utilities Portland General Electric and Pacific Power, clean energy/climate organizations and consumer advocates, and your efforts in contacting and educating House members on the importance of advancing the bill.
Roger Hamilton OpEd: "Weaning state off coal is what Oregonians want"
Just over five years ago, Oregon regulators approved a proposal to shut down the state’s only coal-burning power plant. For more than three decades, the Boardman plant was a workhorse providing electricity to Oregon families and businesses. But in the end, with overwhelming public support, it became clear the benefits of closing the doors on Boardman, by far the state’s biggest air polluter, outweighed the costs.
7th Northwest Power and Conservation Plan another stride toward clean energy future
In approving its seventh 20-year power plan on Wednesday, the Northwest Power and Conservation Council refilled the prescription to meet the region’s new electricity needs primarily with bill-shaving, emissions-avoiding, job-creating energy efficiency. The Council finds that acquiring 1,400 average megawatts of cost-effective energy efficiency in the plan’s five-year “action plan” period and 4,300 aMW by 2035 is the lowest cost and lowest risk strategy for meeting growth in electricity demand.
Bob Jenks OpEd in Statesman Journal: "Transition from coal is best for Oregon’s energy future"
As the executive director of the Citizens’ Utility Board of Oregon (CUB), Oregon’s utility ratepayer advocate for 30 years, I am pleased to have negotiated with a coalition of utilities and clean energy advocates to craft proposed House Bill 4036 or The Clean Energy and Transition from Coal Bill.
Support HB 4036, Oregon’s Clean Electricity Plan
The NW Energy Coalition and several of its members and allies have joined with Pacific Power and member utility Portland General Electric in designing legislation to stop Oregon energy consumers from paying for coal-fired power and to double the state’s 25% renewable portfolio standard for investor-owned utilities. This compromise represents a significant step forward for cleaner electric power and for carbon emissions reductions in Oregon.
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NW Energy Coalition issue paper weighs benefits and opportunities for vehicle electrification
Transportation is one of the most polluting, energy-inefficient sectors of our economy, and the Pacific Northwest is uniquely positioned to leverage its clean electricity resources to change that. State and local policy should foster a greater role for the region’s electric utilities in electrifying transportation, not only for passenger vehicles but also for buses, short-haul vans and trucks, and non-road industrial equipment such as forklifts and shore power.