The Cascade Policy Institute recently released a report on Oregon’s renewable energy aims, and it dug up some interesting information. Namely, Oregon (and Portland) has set far-reaching goals and utterly failed to meet them.
In 2005, Governor Ted Kulongoski announced that by 2010, Oregon’s stage agencies should receive 25 percent of their energy from renewable sources. Then, in 2007, he upped the ante—state agencies had the new goal of receiving 100 percent of their energy from renewable sources. But now that we’re here, and the year is almost over, only one to two percent of the state government’s energy is renewable, according to Anna Richter Taylor, the governor’s communications director.
In 2001, the Portland City Council—still under the leadership of Mayor Vera Katz—approved a plan to reduce Portland’s carbon emissions by 10 percent of their 1990 levels by 2010. The City of Portland was to be 100 percent reliant on renewable energy sources by 2010. And in a slightly better showing than the state, 9 percent of Portland’s energy currently comes from renewable sources, according to David Tooze, senior energy specialist for the City.
The goals of Oregon Senate Bill 838 (that energy companies’ source portfolios would be at least one-quarter renewable by 2025) are on a more realistic timeline, but it still makes me wonder how much of Oregon is just green talk.
For a walk down Wishful Thinking Lane, check out the details of Portland’s 2001 plan. My favorite part is a TriMet pass for every household.
‘it still makes me wonder how much of Oregon is just green talk.’
Fantastic. The more people wake up to the lies the better. No one WANTS to rely on polluting sources of energy, but until a better one is developed (which some say is years off, don’t think energy companies aren’t working on it) … the market will not bear it out.
Reality will not bend for those on ‘Wishful Thinking Lane’
My impression of the latest round of Boardman talks was the politicians saying “Shut down the coal plant!” and PGE saying “But we don’t have anything to replace it with, yet! Where do you suggest we get our electricity?” and the politicians saying “Shut down the coal plant!”
I am confused what happened to that 40% hydro? In the rest of the world hydro is counted as renewable.
Rosy – they say it kills salmon. Wind kills birds, people are to scared of nuke, we’re banned from drilling-piping-mining other sources, the sun doesn’t shine in the NW, biomass reeks, so go figure.
Andrea, you should mention that the Cascade Policy Institute is a free market libertarian think tank.
Reymont, that’s exactly what it’s been. The organizers of the shut-down-Boardman crusade are just a local cell of the nationwide Sierra Club Beyond Coal campaign. The realities of a specific power company, ownership issues (it’s co-owned with Idaho Power….their politicians don’t give a fuck about pollution) and the fact that Oregon only has one coal plant and has been a leader in renewables and hydro for decades, as well as energy efficiency and lowering consumption, is completely lost on the “Save the Planet” organizers.
It’s too bad. Yes, we need to address climate change and yes, we need to close Boardman. But PGE has put forth an extremely forward-thinking timeline that will spare having to jack up the rates on lower-income ratepayers.
Also, the fact that we only have one coal plant in Oregon and PGE has done so much work on renewables (built, own and operate Biglow wind farm….that’s an incredible mission creep–the good kind–for an electric utility).
And if you haven’t seen this PGE ad from the 80s with Frank Zappa about energy conservation, you’re missing out:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IhkM1ARcipA