In March of 2020, Governor Kate Brown issued Executive Order 20-04 requiring state agencies to meet specific goals – setting a standard for a 45% reduction from 1990 greenhouse gas emission levels by 2035 and an 80% reduction by 2050.

After more than a year of draft rulemaking by the Department of Environmental Quality, under the direction of Richard Whitman, the DEQ appears to think that Oregonians across the state agree on the need to respond to climate change. That’s the result of zoom meetings orchestrated agendas that limited oral comments to two minutes due to the high level of interest. However, there is still no consensus on exactly what that response should be.

DEQ contracted with ICF to conduct a study to assess different greenhouse gas emissions reduction program designs through specialized economic and emissions modeling to analyze potential effects. There is nothing scientific about this study that justifies the need for reduced greenhouse emissions or the impact a program would have in Oregon, the U.S. or worldwide. All the scenarios presented directs more regulation towards natural gas utilities and non-natural gas fuel suppliers. An overarching finding is that greenhouse gas emission reductions will most significantly impact the transportation sector, and significant changes are expected across all of the regulated sectors.

Transportation affects every aspect of our lives and the biggest impact on the economy. There has been no calculation of the true costs of the DEQ’s Climate Protection Program, which will impact every energy user in Oregon.

A D V E R T I S E M E N T

A D V E R T I S E M E N T

Some key principles that are lacking in the program:

• All forms of renewable energy are needed in a balanced, low-carbon future. Using the natural gas infrastructure already in place, Oregon can reach climate goals more affordably by delivering renewable natural gas and hydrogen.
• Families and businesses should have a choice of resilient and dependable energy options to meet their needs. Aside from the unnecessary expense, gas bans could discourage renewable energy innovation and force communities to exclusively depend on the electric grid for all energy needs, which has been projected to cause blackouts. Homes and businesses with gas service can have energy even when the electric power is out.
• The affordability and reliability of energy must remain priorities of Oregon’s energy system. Reducing carbon emissions is important, but so is access to affordable energy and the security of a dependable statewide energy system.

Comments on the DEQ rulemaking can be emailed by October 4, 2021, by 4 pm.


--Donna Bleiler

Post Date: 2021-09-29 20:59:50

Last Update: 2021-09-29 21:25:07