Yesterday, draft language for the long-awaited Clean Energy Jobs Bill was released. If passed, the legislation would create a Cap-and-Invest program that would place an economy-wide limit on greenhouse gas emissions, create a market-based program to drive least-cost emission reductions and invest the program’s proceeds into climate change mitigation projects, including clean energy projects such as wind and solar power, electric vehicles and public transit, and carbon sequestration in Oregon’s working and natural lands. Successful legislation would ensure Oregon’s Cap-and-Invest program can connect with the Western Climate Initiative’s (WCI) regional Cap-and-Trade market.
Following is a statement by E2 Western States advocate Andy Wunder:
“A smart Cap-and-Invest program creates enormous opportunity to accelerate Oregon’s clean energy economy in 2019 and ensure the right market signals are in place to drive investment and job growth in the state for years to come. The benefits of a program extend beyond cleantech businesses — Oregon’s farmers, foresters and ranchers will also be able to benefit from investment driven by a Cap-and-Invest program.
“Thanks to existing smart clean energy policy such as Oregon’s Clean Fuels Program, the state is already benefitting from a robust clean energy economy, which currently employs over 55,000 Oregonians across the state; as E2’s district level analysis shows, all 90 Oregon state legislative districts are benefitting from this economy. The Clean Energy Jobs Bill provides the opportunity for Oregon to become a national destination for cleantech investment and jobs by sending a clear, long-term signal to investors that Oregon’s clean energy market is poised for further expansion. Lawmakers must seize this opportunity in the 2019 session.
“The draft language is a good start — E2 and our members look forward to working with lawmakers in every part of the state to craft and pass a Cap-and-Invest program that effectively reduces emissions and ensures the clean energy economy reaches its potential in Oregon.”
For more information on how Oregon can grow economic opportunities through a market based carbon emission mitigation program, or to speak with state business leaders who support a Cap-and-Invest program, please contact Michael Timberlake at (202) 289-2407, mtimberlake@e2.org.
News item from Environmental Entrepreneurs (E2)
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