Environment Oregon: Kulongoski is protecting the state's climate legacy
Kulongoski is protecting the state's climate legacy
http://www.statesmanjourna
Thank you, Gov. Kulongoski, for keeping your eye on new energy jobs and on reducing global warming pollution in Oregon.
Oregon's conservation community represents the vast majority of Oregonians, people from all corners of the state who believe in protecting the clean air and water for future generations. Unlike the corporate polluter lobby, we see little personal financial gain in fighting for that future.
In pushing through HB 2940, the high-priced corporate timber and trash-burning lobby pushed a special interest add-on benefiting them at the expense of Oregon's clean energy future. It was these special interests who chose a singular path and crushed the innovation of creative and pioneering businesses in building Oregon's green energy economy.
HB 2940 chose the pre-1995 hydro and biomass as the sole winners in the Renewable Portfolio Standard at the cost to the rest of the renewable energy sources. The state RPS requires 25 percent of new electricity come from 100 percent clean, renewable sources. By including old and dirty renewable energy into the RPS, our state's strongest climate policy would've been cut by one-quarter. This was simply unacceptable to the conservation community, and it should have also been unacceptable to legislators facing a terrifying economic downturn.
A one-quarter cut to the RPS is a one-quarter cut in Oregon's ability to reduce our global warming pollution. But it's also a one-quarter cut in new renewable energy jobs. And it's a one-quarter cut in the amount of clean energy business that will blossom in Oregon. So the conservation community understands the everyday challenges of everyday people.
Oregon's statewide June unemployment rate was 12.1 percent. But the counties with wind projects in operation or development (Union, Umatilla, Morrow, Sherman and Gilliam) each had unemployment rates less than the statewide average. By contrast, the rural counties of Crook, Josephine, Deschutes, Klamath and Coos had unemployment rates ranging from 20.6 percent to 13.6 percent.
According to the Renewable Northwest Project, wind projects have invested $2 billion of capital in rural Oregon, producing approximately $225 million in rural property-tax revenues and community service fees. Rural farmers, ranchers and landowners received $4 million to $8 million in annual payments from wind companies. And wind farms created 1,650 construction and operational jobs.
Right now there are projects permitted for development that will triple Oregon's wind energy production. Cutting the RPS would have put many of these projects in financial jeopardy. Thanks to the economic certainty brought by the governor's veto, the new wind projects are projected to generate $219 million in additional rural property tax revenues and community service fees, $8 million to $15.5 million in more payments to farmers and ranchers and 3,000 more jobs.
So the path to a stronger economy starts by strengthening the RPS, not weakening it with old, dirty power advocated by a narrow set of special interests.
Gov. Kulongoski, you were right to veto HB 2940 and protect Oregon's climate legacy.
Brock Howell of Portland is an advocate with Environment Oregon. He can be reached at brock@environmentoregon.or
Thank you, Gov. Kulongoski, for keeping your eye on new energy jobs and on reducing global warming pollution in Oregon.
Oregon's conservation community represents the vast majority of Oregonians, people from all corners of the state who believe in protecting the clean air and water for future generations. Unlike the corporate polluter lobby, we see little personal financial gain in fighting for that future.
In pushing through HB 2940, the high-priced corporate timber and trash-burning lobby pushed a special interest add-on benefiting them at the expense of Oregon's clean energy future. It was these special interests who chose a singular path and crushed the innovation of creative and pioneering businesses in building Oregon's green energy economy.
HB 2940 chose the pre-1995 hydro and biomass as the sole winners in the Renewable Portfolio Standard at the cost to the rest of the renewable energy sources. The state RPS requires 25 percent of new electricity come from 100 percent clean, renewable sources. By including old and dirty renewable energy into the RPS, our state's strongest climate policy would've been cut by one-quarter. This was simply unacceptable to the conservation community, and it should have also been unacceptable to legislators facing a terrifying economic downturn.
A one-quarter cut to the RPS is a one-quarter cut in Oregon's ability to reduce our global warming pollution. But it's also a one-quarter cut in new renewable energy jobs. And it's a one-quarter cut in the amount of clean energy business that will blossom in Oregon. So the conservation community understands the everyday challenges of everyday people.
Oregon's statewide June unemployment rate was 12.1 percent. But the counties with wind projects in operation or development (Union, Umatilla, Morrow, Sherman and Gilliam) each had unemployment rates less than the statewide average. By contrast, the rural counties of Crook, Josephine, Deschutes, Klamath and Coos had unemployment rates ranging from 20.6 percent to 13.6 percent.
According to the Renewable Northwest Project, wind projects have invested $2 billion of capital in rural Oregon, producing approximately $225 million in rural property-tax revenues and community service fees. Rural farmers, ranchers and landowners received $4 million to $8 million in annual payments from wind companies. And wind farms created 1,650 construction and operational jobs.
Right now there are projects permitted for development that will triple Oregon's wind energy production. Cutting the RPS would have put many of these projects in financial jeopardy. Thanks to the economic certainty brought by the governor's veto, the new wind projects are projected to generate $219 million in additional rural property tax revenues and community service fees, $8 million to $15.5 million in more payments to farmers and ranchers and 3,000 more jobs.
So the path to a stronger economy starts by strengthening the RPS, not weakening it with old, dirty power advocated by a narrow set of special interests.
Gov. Kulongoski, you were right to veto HB 2940 and protect Oregon's climate legacy.
Brock Howell of Portland is an advocate with Environment Oregon. He can be reached at brock@environmentoregon.or