Energy Company Proposes Measures to Make Oregon First Coal-Free State in U.S.

Tuesday, October 06, 2015

GoLocalPDX News Team

Union Pacific train with open bed coal cars.

Renew Oregon filed two ballot measures that would eliminate coal from Oregon’s energy use on Monday with the Secretary of States Office.

The measures would require Oregon’s largest utilities to transition away from coal-powered electric by 2030 and increase the state’s use of clean renewable energy to 50 percent by 2040. If utilities fail to comply with pollution reduction standards in the measure, executive salaries will be affected.

“Oregon’s leadership on renewable energy has brought us nearly $10 billion in investments and created thousands of jobs since our state’s first major wind project came online, ” said Nik Blosser, co-founder of the Oregon Business Association and a Chief Petitioner on the measures. “It’s time to double down on that opportunity.”

The measures are intended for the November 2016 ballot and would make Oregon the first state to have a public vote to go coal free.

“Climate change poses a real and immediate threat to human health,” said Renée Klein, CEO of the American Lung Association in Oregon and a Renew Oregon co-chair. “Rising temperatures exacerbate existing health challenges and disproportionately impact our children, our elderly and other vulnerable people. Hundreds of thousands of Oregonians will find it harder to breath if current trends continue.”

If the measures were to pass, Oregon would join a national trend of transitions to renewable energy. Hawaii is already transition toward 100 percent renewable energy and California plans to move to 50 percent renewable energy.