West Coast Global Warming Initiative

January 22nd, 2004

Developing Oregon's Global Warming Strategy
and
Implementing the West Coast Global Warming Initiative

Background
In his letter to the Oregon Sustainability Board that accompanied Executive Order EO No. 03-03: A Sustainable Oregon for the 21st Century, Governor Ted Kulongoski directed the Oregon Department of Energy to participate in negotiations and prepare recommendations for Oregon's potential participation in a West Coast Climate Change/Clean Energy Initiative. Subsequently, on September 22, 2003, Governors Kulongoski, Davis and Locke announced that they have concluded that Oregon, California and Washington must act individually and regionally to reduce greenhouse gas emissions because global warming will have serious adverse consequences on the economy, health and environment of the west coast states. (Governor Schwarzenegger has continued California's participation.) They therefore created the West Coast Global Warming Initiative.

Governor's Advisory Group on Global Warming
Governor Kulongoski will appoint community leaders to an Advisory Group on Global Warming that will lead the development of the next phase of Oregon's global warming strategy. The purpose of the advisory group is to develop a strategy to reduce Oregon's greenhouse gas emissions both in the short term and over the long term. The strategy will be coordinated with the West Coast Global Warming Initiative. The Governor requested the strategy by September 1, 2004.

The climate change strategy for Oregon will provide long-term sustainability for the environment, protect public health, consider social equity, create economic opportunity, and expand public awareness. The Advisory Group will make recommendations to Governor Kulongoski and to the Oregon Sustainability Board, which is chaired by Secretary of State Bradbury.

The Advisory Group will include leading members of the business, academic, and environmental communities and state agencies. Dr. Jane Lubchenco, Valley Professor of Marine Biology, Oregon State University, and Mr. Mark Dodson, Chief Executive Officer, Northwest Natural, have agreed to co-chair the Advisory Group. The National Policy Consensus Center at Portland State University will support the Advisory Group. Elaine Hallmark will facilitate the meetings.

Technical Committee
The Oregon Department of Energy ("ODOE") will chair a Technical Committee that will develop and analyze specific greenhouse gas reduction measures and prepare background analysis for option papers and strategy documents. It will also update the state's greenhouse gas inventory.

Phil Carver, Senior Policy Analyst, will chair the committee. The committee will function primarily though a suite of sub-committees. The Technical Committee will welcome participation by all interested parties. The sub-committees and chairs are as follows:

1. Energy efficiency in the residential, commercial and industrial sectors for all fuels (Phil Carver/ODOE)
2. Electricity generation (Phil Carver/ODOE);
3. Transportation (Justin Klure/ODOE),
4. Materials Use, Recycling and Disposal (including methane from landfills) (David Allaway/DEQ);
5. Biological sequestration (Jim Cathcart/Dept. of Forestry);
6. Other greenhouse gasesūCH4, N2O, HFC, PFC, and SF6 (Sam Sadler/ODOE); and,
7. Internal Government Operations (Pat Vernon/ DEQ)

Interested Parties
The state has identified a list of interested parties that it believes will be interested in following the development of Oregon's strategy. The Technical Committee will keep these parties informed of its recommendations to the Advisory Group and will distribute to it documents that it prepares for the Advisory Group and that the Advisory Group adopts. The Technical Committee will also invite stakeholders to participate in the Committee's discussions.

Public
The Department of Energy will hold public meetings in Portland and in Bend to present the draft greenhouse gas emissions reduction strategy and to provide a channel for the public to provide comments to the Advisory Group on the draft strategy.

West Coast Global Warming Initiative Immediate Regional Projects As part of the West Coast Global Warming Initiative, the governors identified five regional actions that their states could begin immediately to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The Interstate Executive Committee added a sixth action in January 2004. Each state has identified a lead staff person to coordinate each regional projects. In Oregon, the staff leaders will report to the Advisory Group on the progress of their projects as well as coordinate through the regional structure.

1. Use the states' combined purchasing power to obtain fuel-efficient vehicles and low-rolling resistance tires for motor pool fleets. For example, the states are working on a uniform specification for the purchase of hybrid vehicles. (Cam Birnie/Department of Administrative Services)
2. Reduce emissions from diesel fuel in transportation through reductions in the use of diesel generators in ships at west coast ports, and in the use of diesel engines in trucks by creating a system of emission-free truck stops along the Interstate 5 corridor that stretches from Mexico to Canada. (Pat Vernon/DEQ)
3. Remove barriers to and encourage the development of renewable electricity generation resources and technologies. (Mark Kendall/ODOE)
4. Improve efficiency standards with the potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Specifically, the states could work together to upgrade appliance efficiency standards and seek waivers of federal limitations where necessary. (Charlie Stephens/ODOE)
5. Develop consistent and coordinated greenhouse gas emission inventories, protocols for standard reporting, and accounting methods for greenhouse gas emissions; and collaborate on improved scientific tools to more precisely measure the impact of climate change. (Sam Sadler/ODOE)
6. There will be a working group on hydrogen fuel. The working group is in the process of developing its agenda. (Justin Klure/ODOE)

Sustainability Board
The state and regional greenhouse gas reduction strategies are being done to fulfill Executive Order EO No. 03-03: A Sustainable Oregon for the 21st Century under the auspices of the Sustainability Board. A member of the Sustainability Board will participate on the Advisory Group and keep the Board informed of the progress toward developing a strategy. The Advisory Group will submit its recommended greenhouse gas reduction strategy to the Sustainability Board for its concurrence before submitting it to the Governor.

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