Oregon Adapts to Clean Power Plan

Thursday, August 06, 2015

Rebecca Randall, GoLocalPDX Contributor

On Monday, President Barrack Obama announced the roll out of the Clean Power Plan, the nation’s first standards to address carbon pollution from power plants. Along with that, the EPA issued guidance for states to set standards that will comply with the plan’s target goal of reducing emissions from power plants by 32 percent under 2005 levels by 2030. The EP also set new standards for the development of any new or reconstructed power plants.

The EPA set individual rate-based and mass-based reduction goals for each state based on its mix of power sources, but states will be able to decide which measures it prefers to use. Oregon’s target is to reduce emissions by 20 percent, which is one of the more stringent state goals. In comparison, South Dakota must reduce by a whopping 48 percent while Connecticut needs only to aim for 7 percent.

Oregon politicians are pleased with the level of stringency in the plan. Last December, Oregon Sen. Jeff Merkeley and Sen. Ron Wyden encouraged tougher standards than the EPA originally proposed, saying that the plan should require more use of renewable energy and energy efficiency.

After the final proposals were released on Monday, Merkeley responded with his support: “I applaud the Administration for recognizing that with today’s technology, we can cut even more carbon pollution than this plan originally envisioned, and for strengthening this proposal and enhancing our leadership on the global stage,” he said.

“Oregon is well positioned to comply with the Clean Power Plan. We have long been a leader in clean energy development to the benefit of citizens in our state. Making smart energy investment decisions now is critical to building a more resilient and sustainable economy for the future,” said Governor Kate Brown.

The EPA’s priorities for cutting emissions include improving the efficiency of coal-fired power plants and substituting lower-emitting natural gases and renewable energy sources.

Oregon only has one coal-fired power plant — the Boardman Coal Plant in Boardman, Ore., owned by Portland General Electric. PGE has committed to stop using the plant by 2020. While the rest of the power plants located within the state operate on natural gas and wind, Oregon also depends on coal-fired power plants in other states.

Due to the way regional power grids are established, states can choose multi-state approaches to tackling the new EPA targets if they choose. One way would be to use emissions trading between states.

In Oregon, existing momentum around renewable energy will continue to make a difference in reducing emissions. Since 2008, energy from Oregon’s renewable energy sources has increased 159 percent.

“Implementation of the Clean Power Plan is merely the continuation of a successful approach to energy development that has been going on in the Pacific Northwest for years,” said Rachel Shimshak, executive director of Renewable Northwest.

Meanwhile, local jurisdictions across Oregon have also taken steps to improve energy efficiency. Both Beaverton and Hillsboro have set a goal of 20 percent energy reduction across 2.1 million feet of local buildings, so far achieving 15 and 9 percent reductions respectively. Portland Public Schools made the same goal for its school properties, so far reaching 10 percent reduction.

The Clean Power Plan is projected to contribute significant pollution reductions resulting in benefits, including:

Climate benefits of $20 billion
Health benefits of $14-$34 billion
Net benefits of $26-$45 billion

Because carbon pollution comes packaged with other dangerous air pollutants, the Clean Power Plan will also protect public health, avoiding each year:

3,600 premature deaths
1,700 heart attacks
90,000 asthma attacks
300,000 missed work days and school days

Oregon will develop and implement its own plan in compliance with EPA standards, following a similar approach to the Clean Air Act. States must submit a final plan by September 6th, 2016, though they can also file for a two-year extension.