Draft Sixth Power Plan Comment

The Northwest is on the cusp of being a national leader in addressing climate change and improving our health, environment, and energy future. I applaud the Council's decision to include strong energy efficiency targets in the draft Sixth Power Plan, but we must go further. We cannot truly protect ourselves from both the financial and social risks of climate change without setting a strong price for the cost of carbon, therefore I am asking you to return the Council staff's basecase carbon model of $47 per ton by 2030. And we cannot truly solve climate change without taking substantive steps to end our reliance on the biggest culprit in global warming pollution -- coal. A Council staff analysis demonstrates that the Northwest can become coal free by 2020 in steps that are both achievable and affordable. Finally, the Sixth Power Plan does not address reducing the region's carbon emissions it only seeks to stabilize them. I would like to see the Sixth Power Plan at least set forth CO2 reduction targets consistent with those targets already in place in Montana, Oregon, and Washington. Climate science overwhelmingly advocates for a reduction in carbon levels in the atmosphere in order to combat the effects of global warming. I call on you to take a stand for a better, cleaner, healthier future by adopting these critical points into the final Sixth Power Plan. Believing in my health as I do, as well as understanding the needs of people in today's society, I know that the use of coal to supply electricity to communities is currently vital and the most economical in many parts of the world due to the lack of hydro power plants within a feasable distance. I also know that the coal mining industry provides many jobs that many families depend on for survival. However, with the current techniclogical advances be made for alternative power sources I think it's time to start investing your massive resources into self substaining energies. One idea I've had for quite sometime now is the installation of solar power on every residential rooftop throughout the cities. Many will argue that the cost would be overwhelming but the reality is the return of the unused power, per household, would be astronomical leaving enough surplus to power many of the outlying homes. The key to this idea is taking away the capitalistic needs of the corperate bigwigs and returning the profits directly into the infastructure for further expansion. Something to think about.