Sweeping plan to wean Oregonians from fossil fuels approved by regulators – By Ted Sickinger (The Oregonian/OregonLive) / December 16, 2021
Policymakers for the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality on Thursday voted 3-1 to adopt a controversial Climate Protection Plan that would eventually have far-reaching impacts on every resident of the state.
Depending on who’s describing it, the plan is either an unachievable economic debacle in the making or a long overdue and measured response to climate change that may not go far enough. If that sounds familiar, it’s because Oregon’s debate over climate policy has featured the same polarized rhetoric for the last five years and more.
The new plan was developed by the Department of Environmental Quality after Republican walkouts in 2019 and 2020 killed efforts to pass economy-wide cap-and-trade legislation. The governor responded with an executive order directing agencies to develop plans to regulate and reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the state.
The plan requires fuel suppliers to reduce greenhouse emissions from the products they sell by 50% by 2035 and 90% by 2050 – even more aggressive than the state’s overall goals. Some 13 industrial facilities will also be required to reduce their emissions consistent with the best and most cost-effective technology, with aggregate emission reductions targeted at half of today’s levels by 2035.
