Draft Sixth Power Plan Comment

Coal produces 23 percent of the region’s electricity but spews out 87 percent of the region’s pollution. Oregon law calls for a 75 percent cut in 1990’s greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. This figure will only be reached with a virtual elimination of coal from the Northwest's power system. The Northwest Power and Conservation Council’s very good draft could become a great plan. It can build on its already solid foundation of efficiency and clean energy and move us toward a low-carbon energy future that will meet growing need while shrinking its impact on the environment. The plan must include cap-and-trade (carbon tax) policies or CO2 reduction targets related to coal fired energy generation that are already on the books in Oregon, Washington and Idaho. I urge the Council to enhance the plan to address this critical issue.