Advocating Responsible Stewardship
PNGC Power recognizes that careful stewardship of the environment through its operations
is both good business and the right thing to do.
We strongly support the clean, renewable hydro system in the Northwest. And as the
regional demand for electricity continues to grow, PNGC is committed to retaining
the environmental and economic benefits of the hydro system while exploring other
sustainable resources and energy efficiency to meet our loads, now and in the future.
Energy Efficiency and conservation
Energy efficiency and conservation are important to our members and their customers
locally — and to all of us globally. That is why PNGC Power staff with experience
in environmental issues gets involved in helping set regional policy relating to
energy efficiency, conservation and renewable resources.
PNGC Power's approach to energy efficiency, conservation and renewables mirrors
our approach to the other services we provide to our members — as a group, we can
do more than any one of us can alone.
BPA Rate Credit program
The region-wide Rate Credit program is offered by the Bonneville Power Administration
(BPA) as a way for utilities to promote conservation and to earn a rate credit.
The program runs for two years and it began October 1, 2009. Over the two-year life
of the program, PNGC Power and our members have a possible total of $2.1 million
in credits to spend on conservation.
Under the current Rate Credit program there are fewer qualifying measures than in
the previous Conservation & Rate Discount program, but PNGC Power is able to earn
more credits by investing in renewable resources. Renewables that qualify to earn
credits include wind, geothermal, solar and biomass energy projects. Supporting
research and development for renewable projects such as wave energy is also an option
for utilities. The goal is to help nurture infant technology for the benefit of
the region.
To learn more about energy efficiency, conservation and renewables, please contact
Eugene Rosolie at PNGC Power: 503.288.1234.
Climate change
Recognizing considerable variation, the PNGC board has a policy supporting consideration
of diverse, reliable and efficient electric generation sources that are economically
and environmentally sustainable as options to meet current and future load requirements.
We are working to meet our future energy needs and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Most of PNGC Power’s electricity comes from clean, renewable hydropower provided
by the dams of the Federal Columbia River Power System.
Clean Air Act wrong tool for the job
Using the Clean Air Act to regulate greenhouse gas would create several problems,
including uncertainty for utilities, unworkable requirements for utilities and potential
significant cost increases. PNGC Power does not support the federal Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) using the existing Clean Air Act to regulate greenhouse
gas emissions from power plants.
The existing Clean Air Act is not the right tool to address greenhouse gas emissions
from power plants. And, it is not clear that the Clean Air Act could be effective
or efficient in actually reducing emissions of greenhouse gases from power plants.
Even Clean Air Act legislation author, John Dingle (D-MI), said that using it in
the manner proposed by EPA would produce a “glorious mess.” If green house gas is
to be regulated, the better approach is to have Congress take the lead with new
legislation.
