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Greenhouse gas emissions performance standard for electricity generation
Our Position: support
Bill Number: SB 101
Sponsor: Governor Ted Kulongoski
Legislative Session: 2009
Establishes a greenhouse gas emissions performance standard designed to stop new coal-fired power plants and significantly reduce the greenhouse gas emissions from major electricity generating companies serving Oregon customers as they plan for increased energy demand over time.
Status
Passed out of the Ways and Means subcommittee on Natural Resources and is awaiting a vote of the full Ways and Means Committee and subsequent votes in the Senate and House.
Action Needed
Please contact your state Senator here and urge them to support SB 101 to create a greenhouse gas performance standard that will stop dirty coal plants in Oregon and the Northwest.
More information
Contact Ivan Maluski at ivan.maluski@sierraclub.org or 503-238-0442, x304
Background
Some of Oregon's largest utilities are dependent on burning coal at outdated, dirty coal plantsto provide their baseload electricity. Pacific Power derives most of its electricity for its Oregon customers from burning tremendous amounts of coal in Wyoming and Utah. Portland General Electric derives roughly 20% of its electricity from burning coal mined in Montana at its Boardman coal plant at the east end of the Columbia River Gorge. PGE's Boardman coal fired power plant is Oregon's largest stationary source of air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.
The purpose of this bill is to curb global warming pollution by ensuring that new coal plants release far less carbon dioxide into the atmosphere - no more than the equivalent of the emissions from a cleaner burning combined-cycle natural gas plant. This step would likely prevent new long term financial contracts from being entered into that involve new coal plants to serve Oregon customers, and could have an effect on greenhouse gas emissions at existing coal plants.
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