Voter’s Guide for Energy and Utility Issues

CUB is a non-partisan organization which does not endorse candidates. We do, however, believe strongly in the value of an engaged, educated, participative voting public, and our members will sometimes ask us for guidance around election time. So here are some guidelines on utility and energy issues to keep in mind when your ballots arrive in the mail, starting today.

1) First off, climate is crucial; addressing the sources of global warming pollution is something CUB has taken on as a main mission. We need a declining cap on emissions of global warming gases such as carbon dioxide, and we need it soon. We believe we’ve seen the writing on the wall for unregulated emissions of carbon; the question is not whether carbon regulation will arrive, but when and in what form. Furthermore, we believe the biggest risk, both financially and environmentally, that utility customers face, is the possibility that utilities might make large resource investments, 30- or 40-year investments, in the absence of carbon regulation. Then, when regulation is enacted, investments based on cheap, dirty energy sources will cost utility customers much more than prudent investment in cleaner sources would have.

The Oregon Conservation Network, a group of environment-friendly organizations from around Oregon, of which CUB is a member, has determined that tackling global warming pollution will be one of their major priorities in the upcoming legislative session. The language OCN released regarding global warming is: “We must take action to reduce global warming pollution, which if left unchecked will lead to increased forest fires, water shortages, and major disruptions to our economy. The Legislature should place a mandatory, declining cap on global warming pollution. We should also pass laws to increase energy efficiency and promote green building, which will create family-wage jobs, help us achieve energy independence, and protect our families.”

With this in mind, ask and investigate whether candidates are committed to moving forward, and not 20 years from now but in the short-term, with setting meaningful global warming pollution reduction in place. Although greenhouse gas regulation should eventually occur on national and international levels, CUB feels strongly that state elected officials should be aware of and ready to deal with the issue as well. The Western Climate Initiative, which includes 7 western states (including Oregon) and 4 Canadian provinces, has recently released a draft plan for regulation of greenhouse gas emissions, which needs to be enacted on a state-by-state basis. Our legislators and statewide leaders should be supportive and knowledgeable about these issues.

2) According to energy sector newsletter Clearing Up, Oregon has been named a close second behind California, as the first and second most energy efficient states in the nation. “The ratings are based on state scores in eight categories of policy initiatives: utility-sector and public benefits efficiency programs and policies; transportation and land-use policies; building energy codes; combined energy efficiency in public buildings and fleets; research, development, and deployment (RD&D); and financial incentives for efficient technologies.” Many of the gains Oregon has made to achieve this number 2 spot have been as a result of the programs of the Energy Trust of Oregon, the renewable portfolio options, and state tax incentives for energy efficiency, all of which CUB has had a major role in implementing. So we want to protect them, but also resist resting too much on our laurels.

Ask and investigate whether candidates would both support the programs we have now, and work to expand and build on them in the future. The cheapest and cleanest energy is the energy you don’t have to buy or produce.

3) At the same time that we are protecting our environment, we also need to keep rates affordable. Utility bills have gone up and are continuing to go up, and utility consumers need economic protection. A few years ago, CUB helped pass SB 408, the Utility Tax Reform Law, to keep utilities from overcharging customers for taxes they weren’t paying to government. These kinds of protections are important for every Oregon household, but particularly important for low-income Oregonians.

Ask and investigate whether candidates support the Utility Tax Reform Law, and other utility consumer protections to keep utility service, particularly energy, affordable.

4) Utilities offer essential services and require strong consumer protections, often taking the form of regulatory oversight. We don’t want to weigh in on the deregulation of the banking and investment sector, but we do know that states that have deregulated their electric utility systems or their basic telephone service are paying much higher rates. Electricity deregulation is unlikely to reappear anytime soon (CUB helped beat off the Enron deregulation plan of 1999 with a Restructuring Act that includes many consumer protections), but the big telephone companies have pressed for wholesale deregulation in other states and continue to press for deregulation here in Oregon.

Ask and investigate whether candidates oppose deregulation (which is often shorthand for higher rates and poorer service) in telecommunications.

The Oregonian has a fairly comprehensive voter guide, and the League of Women Voters has a Presidential voting guide, which includes a section on Global Climate Change. So listen to the speeches and read the statements, CUB members, and ask lots of questions if you get the chance. And may the best candidates win!

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