Draft Sixth Power Plan Comment

Oregon law calls for a 75-percent cut in 1990’s greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, a figure the council has determined will only be reached with a virtual elimination of coal from the power system. And while the council cannot order any coal plants to be shuttered, it can chart a course for a future that gradually reduces greenhouse gas emissions, a goal that has proven itself to be both economically and morally necessary. Plus, cutting out coal power would have relatively minor rate impacts, according to the council’s own analysis. I appreciate your efforts on energy efficiency and focus on renewables, but would like to see those efforts fortified with a reduction in greenhouse emissions. 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 build toward a low-carbon energy future that will meet growing need while shrinking its impact on the environment. It is time we cut our ties with coal.