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Oregon Set To Become First Coal-Free State (huffingtonpost.com)
New submitter daubney writes: Oregon lawmakers have approved legislation to eliminate coal from the state's electrical supply by 2035, the first U.S. state to do so. The bill, called the Clean Electricity and Coal Transition plan, commits the state to doubling its use of renewable energy, including solar and wind, to 50 percent by 2040. The bill, passed this week by both legislative branches, now heads to Gov. Kate Brown. Brown said in a statement that the legislation "equips Oregon with a bold and progressive path towards the energy resource mix of the future." Today, roughly one-third of Oregon's power is produced from coal, according to the Oregon Department of Energy. The measure makes Oregon the first state to eliminate coal by legislative action, The Associated Press reports. According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, Oregon is matched only by Hawaii, with a 100 requirement by 2045, Vermont, with a 75 percent target by 2032, and California and New York, with 50 percent goals by 2030.
Oregon Lawmakers to go to Environmentalist Heaven
Environmentally virtuous lawmakers secured a place for themselves in Environmentalist Heaven today, as they sacrificed inexpensive and reliable coal electricity generation to signal good vibes to Mother Earth. "I'm looking forward to an eternity of drum circles, flaxseed, and all the granola I could ever want!", exclaimed the euphoric Representative Geet Amundsen (D - Salem). "Fossil Fuels are dead!" Representative Amundsen had to hurry to catch a flight to Switzerland for a 10-day ski vacation, so he was unavailable for further comment.
Oregon's electricity rate payers were all unavailable to be interviewed, but we did manage to contact several Oregonians who received electricity through government-paid energy assistance programs. None of them seemed worried that electricity rates might increase.