Oregon Governor Kate Brown signed an ambitious climate bill aimed at getting the state to 100% clean electricity by 2040 on Tuesday. The bill sets a timeline for the state’s two major power companies to reduce emissions by 80% by 2030, 90% by 2035 and 100% by 2040. 17 other states and the District of Columbia have also passed bills aimed at achieving 100% clean electricity, but Oregon has the most aggressive timeline. It also plans to measure progress by how much utilities cut overall emissions, rather than by how much they increase the amount of energy that comes from renewable sources, as many other states do.
On top of the clean electricity standard, the bill also bans new construction of fossil fuel power plants and allocates $50 million for community-based energy projects. A senior official at PacifiCorp, one of the state’s largest utilities, said they feel comfortable making the 2030 goal, but do not yet have a plan for the 2040 goal. “This bill will put Oregon on a pathway for a more environmentally sound future and create economic opportunity and jobs for our working families,” said Rep. Jason Kropf, a sponsor of the bill. (Associated Press)