Climate Change and Its Affect
on the Northwest
Paul Griffin
Sr. Legislative Representative
NRECA Government Relations
About NRECA
 Private
not-for-profit electric utilities
 Over 900 member cooperatives in 47
States
– Oregon -- 432,744 consumers
– Washington – 363,292 consumers
– Idaho – 166,928
– California – 72,740 consumers
– Alaska – 537,225
About NRECA
 12%
of the Electric Utility Sector or 42
million consumers
 6 consumers per/mile
 Cover 73% of the nations landmass
 Own 41% of the electric distribution
network
Renewable Energy
Development
 Leading
the Charge
– Co-op renewable energy
capacity grew more than 60
percent in each of the last
two years
– Co-ops received over 11
percent of their power from
renewable sources in 2008
Renewable Energy
Development
2008 – 24 NRECA members form
the National Renewables Cooperative
Organization (NRCO)
 April
– www.renewable.coop
 NRCO
helps electric co-op members
participate nationally in diversified
alternative energy projects
Northwest Renewables

Umatilla Electric Cooperative --$433,000
award for solar development in Hemiston

Flathead Electric Co-op $3.6 million in Clean
Renewable Energy Bonds for a landfill gas
plant in Kalispell

PNGC invest $500,000 in the development of
the Reedsport OPT Wave Energy Park
Snake River Dams
Snake River Dams/NRECA
 “The
removal of federal multipurpose
dams or other navigational and
impoundment facilities is a shortsighted
and irresponsible proposal that would
create potentially disastrous economic
impacts…the breaching of multipurpose
dams would wreak havoc on commerce
dependent on barges and other
waterway navigation.” (NRECA Resolution)
2009 – A Busy Year!
2009 – $787 Billion Stimulus
signed into law
 February
– $3.25 Billion in BPA bonding authority
2009 – A Busy Year!
2009 – WaxmanMarkey Climate and
Energy Bill passes House
 June
– Highly partisan measure
– Speaker Pelosi driving
force
2009 – A Busy Year!
2009 – Bipartisan American Clean
Leadership Energy Act passes Senate
Energy Committee (S.1462)
 June
– Includes Renewable Energy Standard
– Incentives for building out the Electric Grid to
improve reliability and integrate renewables
– Efficiency measures
Clean Air Act and CO2
 What
does the EPA’s Endangerment
finding do?
– Regulates the following Greenhouse
Gases:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
carbon dioxide,
methane,
nitrous oxide,
hydrofluorocarbons,
Perfluorocarbons
sulfur hexafluoride
Lisa Jackson,
Administrator, EPA
Congress Responds
 “The Clean Air Act was not
designed to regulate greenhouse
gases…such regulation will result
in a glorious mess and regulation
of greenhouse gas emissions
should be left to Congress.” (Rep.
John Dingell, December 7, 2009)
Rep. John Dingell
(D-MI)
Clean Air Act, CO2 and the
Northwest
 Why
should the Northwest Care?
 Isn’t
the Bonneville system a clean,
renewable, emitting resource?
 Yes,
but it’s a finite resource.
The Congressional Response
Rep. Ike Skelton
(D-MO)
Sen. Lisa
Murkowski
(R-AK)
Rep. Earl
Pomeroy (DND)
Clean Air Act and CO2
Res 26 – (Murkowski/Lincoln)
 H.J. Res 76 – (Skelton/Peterson)
 H.J. Res 66 – (Jerry Moran)
 H.R. 4396 – (Pomeroy)
 S.J.
What Happens Next?
 All
eyes are on the Senate
 What
bill gets the magical 60 votes?
– Bingaman/Murkowski Energy bill
– Kerry-Lieberman-Graham Climate Bill
 Is
there enough time?
– Will Healthcare return to the forefront?
Thank You
 Paul
Griffin
 Sr. Legislative Representative
 NRECA
 (703) 907-5809
 [email protected]