Oregon already on the path to meet Obama’s new clean power goals

By Ted Sickinger
Oregonian

Depending on where you live and who you listen to, the Clean Power Plan unveiled by President Obama Monday is either the most significant action on climate change ever undertaken or an economic disaster that will face a tsunami of legal challenges.

In Oregon, it may be more business as usual.

Nationwide, the rules will force overall reductions of carbon dioxide emissions from existing power plants of 32 percent below 2005 levels by 2030. Each state has an individual target based on its existing emissions profile, and is required to submit a plan to achieve that target.

Oregon’s goal under the plan equates to a 20 percent reduction in carbon dioxide emissions.  That’s far less stringent than the 48 percent reduction contemplated in last year’s draft rules. The goals apparently changed based on feedback Oregon officials provided after the draft rules were circulated in 2014. Read more