Friday, March 04, 2016
Oregon Makes History with
Legislation to Replace Coal with Clean Energy
(Photo: Portland General Electric/flickr/cc)
On Wednesday, the Oregon state legislature
passed a bill that is one of most significant actions ever takenin
the United States on climate change and clean energy.
The bill, titled the “Clean Electricity and
Coal Transition Plan", will move Oregon completely off coal by 2030 -
including phasing out coal power being imported into the state on the grid -
and ensure that most of that power is replaced by clean energy by doubling the
state’s Renewable Portfolio Standard to 50 percent by 2040. It was passed with
bipartisan support from Republicans and Democrats, and it’s an historic victory
for climate and clean energy leadership.
This bold step forward is not only good news
for Oregon and the West. It also sends an important signal that, even as the
Clean Power Plan makes its way through the courts following the recent stay issued by the Supreme Court, the U.S.
will keep making progress towards meeting our carbon reduction commitments that
the nation made at the climate summit in Paris in December of 2015.
Oregonians also overwhelmingly supported this
policy with recent polling showing 70 percent wanted
their legislator to vote to transition from coal to clean energy. When faced
with a choice between supporting hundreds of millions of dollars in likely
clean air upgrades to aging out of state coal plants or instead investing in
the clean energy economy at home and in the region, Oregon ratepayers and
legislative leaders pushed for the right path forward.
I am so proud of the many Oregon Beyond Coal
and coalition activists who have spent years trying to secure a coal-free clean
energy future for the state. Doctors, community leaders, members of the faith
community, small business owners, students, moms, dads, and so many others
worked tireless hours writing letters, talking to their elected officials, rallying,
protesting, packing community hearings and more -- all because they want clean
energy to power their state.
“(Wednesday’s) vote is a win-win for our
climate and clean energy here in Oregon. The Clean Electricity and Coal
Transition plan shows that we can come together to advance real climate
solutions as we move away from coal and toward more clean energy,” said Andy
Maggi, Oregon Sierra Club Chapter Director.
The bill is a historic win for everyone
in Oregon and beyond. In Oregon, coal plants make of 25 percent of the state’s
greenhouse gas emissions. Analysis of the legislation’s expected impact has
shown that the plan will reduce carbon pollution across the western states by
30 million metric tons - the equivalent of taking 6.4 million cars off the road.
It also includes measures to keep electricity prices affordable and ensure
reliable electric service.
As I said last week while praising New York’s climate and clean energy
leadership - the groundswell of support for clean energy
nationwide continues to make historic strides. This move by Oregon is just the
latest demonstration of the results being driven by a powerful, diverse coalition
of people and organizations taking action on climate and clean energy. These
ordinary visionaries are helping us get closer to meeting the goals of the
Paris climate to stop climate disruption and save our planet.
This historic victory demonstrates yet again
how states will keep the U.S. moving forward to reach our Paris climate
commitment and continue leading the world in tackling the climate crisis.
Indeed we are already seeing many states continue implementation of the
Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean Power Plan despite the Supreme Court
stay. I have no doubt that Oregon’s leadership will inspire other states and
communities to take their own bigger, bolder steps away from coal and toward
clean energy.
© Sierra Club 2016
Mary Anne Hitt is director of the Sierra
Club's Beyond Coal Campaign, which is working to eliminate coal's contribution
to global warming and repower the nation with clean energy.www.sierraclub.org
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to the Baltimore Nonviolence Center, 325 E. 25th St., Baltimore, MD
21218. Ph: 410-323-1607; Email: mobuszewski [at] verizon.net. Go to http://baltimorenonviolencecenter.blogspot.com/
"The master class
has always declared the wars; the subject class has always fought the battles.
The master class has had all to gain and nothing to lose, while the subject
class has had nothing to gain and everything to lose--especially their
lives." Eugene Victor Debs
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