« October 2006 | Main | December 2006 »

November 29, 2006

West Coast Commissions to Tackle Climate Change

It takes a very special person to perk up and get excited at the prospect of discussions surrounding "Energy Efficiency and white certificates in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative" or "Meeting the Kyoto Protocol Goals: Energy Efficiency in the European Union." We must be special. We're excited about the first ever Joint West Coast Public Utility Commissions 2006 Energy Efficiency Workshop, being held Friday, December 1st by the Commissions of California, Washington, and Oregon. While the CUB schedule (not to mention the budget) wouldn't allow for trips to San Francisco to bask in the fog and the energy discussion, we will be following it on the webcast (available at the California Commission website).

The tone will be set with a Special Signing Ceremony, at which members of the three Commissions will sign a Joint Action Framework on Climate Change. Some points covered in the Framework include:

* Regional cooperation to address climate change.
* Development and use of low carbon technologies in the energy sector.
* Promotion of conservation and demand response programs.
* A strong, continued commitment to renewable energy resources.
* Reliance upon Integrated Resource Plans to inform utility and Commission decisions.

Renewables, conservation, reducing carbon emissions, and regional cooperation with regard to this global problem are all fairly self-explanatory. The last item, a particularly wonky bit, is actually one of our favorites.

You see, the Integrated Resource Planning (or IRP) process is the way in which customers and other stakeholders can have a say in the way our energy is produced. With 40% of U.S. carbon dioxide emissions coming from the electricity industry, what could be a more important environmental issue? And it's timely, too.

Soon PGE will embark on its IRP process (an every other year event) with CUB as a party to the case. As we have in years past, we will argue for more energy efficiency (the cheapest, cleanest power around) and renewable resources, and we'll be arguing with an increased sense of urgency and an enhanced arsenal to back it up, since the past 2 years have seen solidified agreement that climate change is real and the crisis needs action to be averted. Since PGE's last IRP, Hurricane Katrina destroyed New Orleans, and Al Gore's movie An Inconvenient Truth has reached millions of Americans with the history of climate change, a story bolstered by a formidable mountain of data. Concern for ourselves, our neighbors, and our planet demands a shift in the "business as usual" practice of electricity production. As columnist Polo stated in a recent Asian Reporter article, "The trick is in teaching the connections -- the connection between us releasing carbons stored a zillion years deep inside old mother earth and the frightening build-up of atmospheric carbon now blanketing our warming planet."

Energy efficiency may sound like a tame solution for such an immense problem, but consider this recent article from the BBC News website: "The rise in humanity's emissions of carbon dioxide has accelerated sharply, according to a new analysis. The Global Carbon Project says that emissions were rising by less than 1% annually up to the year 2000, but are now rising at 2.5% per year. It says the acceleration comes mainly from a rise in charcoal consumption and a lack of new energy efficiency gains."

Perhaps the most notable aspect of this event is the fact that these 3 Commissions, agencies empowered to make and enforce the rules that protect the financial well-being of utility ratepayers, are coming together to address climate change. They are acknowledging the huge economic impact that climate change will have on customers, and they are being proactive in addressing climate change because that will mitigate any financial burdens that may be heading our way. That these economic goals are also hailed by the environmental community as ecological goals just goes to prove that they are elegant solutions, working to solve multiple problems at once. We commend the Commissions for their foresight.

We wish the three Commissions and their speakers (which includes local energy efficiency mavens Margie Harris, Director of the Energy Trust of Oregon; Charlie Grist, Senior Analyst for the Northwest Power and Conservation Council; and Margie Gardner, Executive Director of the Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance) a brisk and fruitful discussion. We hope they bring back new ideas and new weapons for the fight against global warming. And if they think to tuck a piece of Ghirardelli chocolate in their bags for those of us back at home, well, that would be okay, too.

Posted by Oregon CUB at 04:38 PM | Comments (0)

November 15, 2006

Clean Energy Makes Everybody a Winner!

After all the ballots were counted up in Washington State (and it took until this week to do it), voters passed Initiative 937, the Clean Energy Initiative. Because of Washington State's electoral practice of counting absentee ballots postmarked on Election Day, there was a delay in claiming victory until it was clear the pro-clean energy forces had carried the day.

In the words of the Yes on 937 campaign: "Passing I-937 in Washington State continues the momentum of clean energy across the nation. Global warming and energy independence are critical issues that need practical solutions like I-937. Using energy more efficiently and developing clean, homegrown resources like wind and solar will position us well economically and environmentally for the future."

That is why CUB was watching this campaign so closely. Its victory does indeed continue a strong momentum on clean energy issues, and we're going to carry that momentum into the Oregon legislature come January. The Washington initiative demonstrates grassroots support in the Northwest for ambitious but achievable clean energy policies. Here in Oregon, we have a Governor who is strongly in favor of promoting clean energy proposals and many legislators, both Democrat and Republican, who campaigned in favor of clean energy and energy independence.

We plan to make sure that the campaign poetry gets translated into governing prose. Earlier this year, CUB began working on the Oregon Clean Energy Agenda to enact progressive energy policies. Some items on the Clean Energy Agenda:

* We support the Governor's proposal for a Renewable Energy Standard calling for 25 percent of Oregon's energy needs to be met by renewable resources by 2025.

* We want to extend public purpose funding dedicated to energy efficiency and renewable resource development past the current sunset of 2012.

* We plan to accelerate clean energy development by exploring an increase in the funding that we currently invest in energy efficiency and renewable energy resources.

* We think that by revising clean energy tax credits we can encourage broader use of clean energy technology by consumers and businesses.

* We hope to increase energy efficiency standards for certain appliances to reflect other energy-savings standards being adopted around the country.

You can help promote the Oregon Clean Energy Agenda. Please take a few minutes and contact Governor Ted Kulongoski, as well as your state representative and state senator, and ask them to make clean energy issues a priority in the 2007 session. Governor Kulongoski can be reached by calling 503-378-4582 or via e-mail on the web. If you are not sure who your state representative or state senator is, contact CUB Organizing Director Jeff Bissonnette at jeff@oregoncub.org and he'll point you in the right direction.

Clean energy is going to be a major issue in the 2007 session. Help CUB bring a victory home to Oregon in the coming year, by letting our elected leaders know you care about clean energy.

Posted by Oregon CUB at 01:59 PM | Comments (0)

November 03, 2006

Get Out the Vote for Clean Energy

A couple of weeks ago, CUB Online talked about I-937, the Clean Energy Initiative in Washington State. We highlighted one of the key aspects of the measure: a Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) requiring that 15% of the state's energy be produced from clean, renewable resources by the year 2020. In addition to that goal, the measure also calls for increasing Washington's energy efficiency work to ensure that all cost-effective efficiency is captured to lower energy bills overall for both businesses and households.

When people think of clean energy, they think of windmills and solar arrays but, as we talk about a lot here at CUB, "the cheapest energy is the energy you don't have to produce in the first place." In fact, there's a lot of room for more energy efficiency and conservation. "Despite great examples of conservation leadership, some utilities are underperforming," said Stan Price, executive director of the Northwest Energy Efficiency Council, a trade association representing energy efficiency businesses. "Passing I-937 will make sure that Washington maximizes its conservation potential."

Because I-937 addresses both efficient use of energy plus the clean production of energy, that makes it even more attractive to support. And, as we mentioned last time, a win in Washington will help similar efforts to increase energy efficiency and renewable energy generation here in Oregon.

We have several CUB members and supporters going across the river to help talk to voters by phone in Clark County this weekend on Saturday, November 4th. If you want to join the crew, contact CUB Organizing Director Jeff Bissonnette by phone (503-516-1636) or e-mail (jeff@oregoncub.org).

And even if you can't come this weekend, if you have family or friends who are Washington State voters, you can still help out. Either forward this entire e-mail to folks you know in Washington and encourage them to vote Yes on I-937, or cut and paste the message below into a separate e-mail and send it out.

---------------------------------------------------

VOTE YES on I-937! I-937 will ensure that 15% of Washington's energy comes from clean, renewable sources like wind and solar by 2020. I-937 also ensures that utilities help their customers save money and energy through energy conservation.

This is our chance to take control of our energy future for our kids and grandkids. I hope you'll Vote Yes on I-937, and forward this email on to your friends! For more information, visit Yes on 937! Watch the tv ad!

-------------------------------------------------------

Even sending this to a few people and encouraging them to pass it on would be a big help. And, as we said a couple of weeks ago, even though CUB does not endorse candidates, we do encourage voters to pay attention to what candidates say about global warming, utility taxes, and other issues that are important to utility consumers. Then, cast your vote accordingly by November 7th.

Posted by Oregon CUB at 01:35 PM | Comments (0)