Introducing Clean Energy, Clean Air Measures in Oregon

While working hard to transition Oregon off of coal-fired electricity and double the state’s commitment to renewable energy, it’s important to stop along the way and recognize the great milestones.

We’re not done collecting signatures yet, but we turned in 4,000 signatures to the state this week! That’s a step closer to allowing voters to choose a coal-free future for Oregon. One step closer to doubling our renewable energy and significantly cutting climate pollution.

Oregon has long been a leader in innovation -- from the bottle bill to the world’s greatest athletic shoes. To continue our leadership it’s time to transition Oregon off dirty, polluting coal power to clean energy, create good paying jobs, protect our health and climate, and make Oregon a leader in renewable energy innovation.

It’s alarming that one-third of the electricity in our state still comes from burning coal -- Pacific Power gets more than two-thirds from coal. Renew Oregon Action Fund has filed ballot measures that will allow Oregonians to be the first in the nation to go coal free by public vote. The transition will be complete by 2030.

The out-of-state oil industry is doing all it can to roll back Oregon’s clean air protections. Big Oil has spent millions of dollars on lobbyists, elections, frivolous lawsuits and proposed ballot measures to weaken or repeal the Clean Fuels Standard.

Oregonians support this standard by about 2 to 1, because it cleans up the air and gives us more choices at the pump. But Big Oil lobbyists are addicted to peddling pollution for profits. Help us #Fight4CleanAir

Remember and Act for Climate and Racial Justice

By: Coalition of Communities of Color

Saturday, August 29th marks ten years since Hurricane Katrina. Its devastation highlights painful histories and issues of racial injustice and inequity in this country—policies, planning and investment that are not entirely unique to New Orleans. 

Katrina also shone a bright light on segregation, disparities in physical and economic mobility, as well as inequitable emergency response and climate policies. And, it showed us how a natural disaster can increase gentrification and displacement.

We know that climate change makes things worse for low-income communities of color, that it exacerbates existing inequities and reinforces systemic racism.  In the case of New Orleans, not only were low-income communities of color the hardest hit, but inequitable planning and investment dramatically changed the demographics of the City.

We were just getting started here at Renew Oregon when the legislature reauthorized the Clean Fuels Standard and Governor Brown signed it into law this year. It’s a great victory for Oregonians who value clean air and more options at the pump. Clean Fuels is just the kind of program that will make Oregon a leader, because it will grow the clean energy economy and reduce pollution. 

By Mayor Charlie Hales, Portland

Pope Francis, speaking in an incredible 500-year-old building at the Pontifical Academy of Sciences in Vatican City, told me and 60 other mayors that addressing climate change is a moral imperative for humanity.

That was a moving experience for city leaders. When the network of C40 cities, working together to fight climate change, gathered for a summit in Johannesburg early last year, we felt we were banging at the door, trying to be heard. This time, the Vatican deliberately focused on us, mayors, to mobilize grassroots action.

We mean business! With a loud and respected voice, the business community in Oregon is speaking up for action to transition to a clean energy economy and lead the way in reducing climate pollution. Businesses make up a big part of our coalition at Renew Oregon and using innovation and investment, we can tackle the biggest challenges we face.

In its second year, the Oregon Business Climate Declaration now has more than 400 businesses signed on. Since the original release – signed by 70 companies last July including Adidas, Waste Management, the Portland Trailblazers, eBay, Moda Health and more – 330 new businesses from Astoria to Hood River, Coos Bay to Bend and Portland to Ashland have signed. Companies in 61 Oregon cities and towns are represented in the new list.

These businesses understand climate change is already affecting our economy and our health and we must do something now to minimize the risk while also maximizing growth, investment and savings from efficiency.

Oregon leaders stood up to pressure from big oil, announcing today that a hastily designed transportation package, that would have repealed our new clean air law, will not move forward. Your letters, calls, messages and tweets made a huge difference by letting them know you stand behind the Clean Fuels Program!

Oregonians don’t have to choose between good roads and clean air. We deserve both. It was political shenanigans that pitted these two objectives against one another in the state capitol, presenting legislators and Oregonians with a false choice.

A range of groups representing health, business, schools and the environment raised strong objections to the “replacement” package, which double counted emissions reductions and took funding from other renewable energy and energy efficiency programs. These concerns were confirmed when a representative from ODOT revised down the carbon savings of the proposed plan by over 15% on Wednesday. Legislators rejected the package and decided much needed transportation funding should be considered on its own merits.

Every day in Oregon, polluters dump waste into our air and water at no cost to their bottom line. If they are going to use the resources we all share – our air, livable climate and clean water, these large polluters should at least pay the true cost.

We already see the damaging effects of climate change risking our natural areas and Oregon economy. The men and women who work in shellfishing and seafood, family farmers and the many workers on our ski mountains and other recreational areas.

Asthma rates are increasing as air pollution stagnates in the hot air and our most vulnerable populations are at risk. Delaying action to address the root causes of climate change just compounds the costs – on our health, our economy and our communities.

The Climate Stability and Justice Act (HB 3470) is the action we need. The Act enforces Oregon’s existing limits on climate pollution with a firm timeline for action to guarantee Oregon achieves those goals. The law ensures that progress is measured and reported every five years and that further reductions are taken if benchmarks aren’t met. Tell your legislators to support this bill.

It’s the right time to Renew Oregon. We sensed an important need from people who call this great state home. We heard from all corners of Oregon-- young and old, conservative and liberal, urban and rural -- that it’s time to get the economy moving, defend our air and water, and lead the way on climate action to protect our valued and historic agriculture, fishing and tourism industries.

We felt the pent up energy and the desire to go forward. That’s why we launched this campaign. And you responded!

After only one month: