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Senate combats global warming with energy bill
Senate Bill 838 requires electric utility companies to start using renewable energy resources
by Jason N. Reed | News Reporter |
Oregon is on its way to mandating the reduction of air pollution through renewable energy with the passing of the Oregon Renewable Energy Act.
Senate Bill 838 stipulates that electric utility companies that sell electricity in an amount equaling 3 percent or more of all electricity sold in Oregon are required to generate 25 percent of electricity from renewable energy resources, or RES, by 2025.
In the last 150 years greenhouse gases have increased by 25 percent - the cause, industrialization. Rates continue to rise throughout the world despite global programs such as the Kyoto Protocol, which attempts to handle the global warming process.
More than 70 percent of electricity is generated from non-renewable sources such as coal and natural gas.
States throughout the nation have taken measures and passed laws in an effort to combat these greenhouse gas emissions.
Oregon is one of these states leading the way for renewable energy use as the state currently supplies 47 percent of all electricity through clean energy compared with the national average of 8 percent.
"We can make Oregon the national leader in renewable energy and renewable product manufacturing," Gov. Ted Kulongoski said in his Oregon Renewable Action Plan. "Development of renewable energy will lessen our reliance on fossil fuels, protect Oregon's clean air and create jobs."
California generates more electricity from geothermal, solar and wind energy than any state, and Washington state leads the nation in power generation from all renewables combined.
At least 5 percent of the electricity sold to retail consumers in 2011 to 2014 must be from qualifying RES, 15 percent in the years 2015 to 2019, 20 percent in the years 2020 to 2024, and at least 25 percent in the year 2025.
Concerns surfaced that companies that sell less than the 3 percent minimum would eventually sell more electricity and by slipping between the cracks, avoid the RES mandates.
Senate Bill 838 stipulates that electric utility companies that sell electricity in an amount equaling 3 percent or more of all electricity sold in Oregon are required to generate 25 percent of electricity from renewable energy resources, or RES, by 2025.
In the last 150 years greenhouse gases have increased by 25 percent - the cause, industrialization. Rates continue to rise throughout the world despite global programs such as the Kyoto Protocol, which attempts to handle the global warming process.
More than 70 percent of electricity is generated from non-renewable sources such as coal and natural gas.
States throughout the nation have taken measures and passed laws in an effort to combat these greenhouse gas emissions.
Oregon is one of these states leading the way for renewable energy use as the state currently supplies 47 percent of all electricity through clean energy compared with the national average of 8 percent.
"We can make Oregon the national leader in renewable energy and renewable product manufacturing," Gov. Ted Kulongoski said in his Oregon Renewable Action Plan. "Development of renewable energy will lessen our reliance on fossil fuels, protect Oregon's clean air and create jobs."
California generates more electricity from geothermal, solar and wind energy than any state, and Washington state leads the nation in power generation from all renewables combined.
At least 5 percent of the electricity sold to retail consumers in 2011 to 2014 must be from qualifying RES, 15 percent in the years 2015 to 2019, 20 percent in the years 2020 to 2024, and at least 25 percent in the year 2025.
Concerns surfaced that companies that sell less than the 3 percent minimum would eventually sell more electricity and by slipping between the cracks, avoid the RES mandates.
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