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Climate Change and Its Affect on the Northwest
Paul GriffinSr. Legislative RepresentativeNRECA Government Relations
About NRECA
Private not-for-profit electric utilities Over 900 member cooperatives in 47
States– Oregon -- 432,744 consumers– Washington – 363,292 consumers– Idaho – 166,928– California – 72,740 consumers– Alaska – 537,225
About NRECA
12% of the Electric Utility Sector or 42 million consumers
6 consumers per/mile Cover 73% of the nations landmass Own 41% of the electric distribution
network
Renewable Energy Development
Leading the Charge– Co-op renewable energy
capacity grew more than 60 percent in each of the last two years
– Co-ops received over 11 percent of their power from renewable sources in 2008
Renewable Energy Development
April 2008 – 24 NRECA members form the National Renewables Cooperative Organization (NRCO)– www.renewable.coop
NRCO helps electric co-op members participate nationally in diversified alternative energy projects
Northwest Renewables
Umatilla Electric Cooperative --$433,000 award for solar development in Hemiston
Flathead Electric Co-op $3.6 million in Clean Renewable Energy Bonds for a landfill gas plant in Kalispell
PNGC invest $500,000 in the development of the Reedsport OPT Wave Energy Park
Snake River Dams
Snake River Dams/NRECA
“The removal of federal multipurpose dams or other navigational and impoundment facilities is a shortsighted and irresponsible proposal that would create potentially disastrous economic impacts…the breaching of multipurpose dams would wreak havoc on commerce dependent on barges and other waterway navigation.” (NRECA Resolution)
2009 – A Busy Year!
February 2009 – $787 Billion Stimulus signed into law– $3.25 Billion in BPA bonding authority
2009 – A Busy Year!
June 2009 – Waxman-Markey Climate and Energy Bill passes House– Highly partisan measure– Speaker Pelosi driving
force
2009 – A Busy Year!
June 2009 – Bipartisan American Clean Leadership Energy Act passes Senate Energy Committee (S.1462)– Includes Renewable Energy Standard– Incentives for building out the Electric Grid to
improve reliability and integrate renewables– Efficiency measures
Clean Air Act and CO2
What does the EPA’s Endangerment finding do?– Regulates the following Greenhouse
Gases:1. carbon dioxide,
2. methane,
3. nitrous oxide,
4. hydrofluorocarbons,
5. Perfluorocarbons
6. sulfur hexafluoride Lisa Jackson, Administrator,
EPA
Congress Responds
“The Clean Air Act was not designed to regulate greenhouse gases…such regulation will result in a glorious mess and regulation of greenhouse gas emissions should be left to Congress.” (Rep. John Dingell, December 7, 2009)
Rep. John Dingell (D-
MI)
Clean Air Act, CO2 and the Northwest
Why should the Northwest Care?
Isn’t the Bonneville system a clean, renewable, emitting resource?
Yes, but it’s a finite resource.
The Congressional Response
Rep. Ike Skelton
(D-MO)
Sen. Lisa
Murkowski (R-
AK)
Rep. Earl
Pomeroy (D-ND)
Clean Air Act and CO2
S.J. Res 26 – (Murkowski/Lincoln) H.J. Res 76 – (Skelton/Peterson) H.J. Res 66 – (Jerry Moran) H.R. 4396 – (Pomeroy)
What Happens Next?
All eyes are on the Senate
What bill gets the magical 60 votes?– Bingaman/Murkowski Energy bill– Kerry-Lieberman-Graham Climate Bill
Is there enough time?– Will Healthcare return to the forefront?
