skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Friday, March 29, 2024

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

The latest on the Key Bridge collapse, New York puts forth legislation to get clean energy projects on the grid and Wisconsin and other states join a federal summer food program to help feed kids across the country.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Republicans float conspiracy theories on the collapse of Baltimore's Key Bridge, South Carolina's congressional elections will use a map ruled unconstitutional, and the Senate schedules an impeachment trial for Homeland Secretary Mayorkas.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Historic wildfires could create housing and health issues for rural Texans, a Kentucky program helps prison parolees start a new life, and descendants of Nicodemus, Kansas celebrate the Black settlers who journeyed across the 1870s plains seeking self-governance.

On the Governor's Desk: Plan to Cut Out Coal, Increase Renewables

play audio
Play

Monday, March 7, 2016   

SALEM, Ore. – Oregon's legislative session ended after nearly five weeks with a boom in bills passed in the final days.

Lawmakers were constitutionally obligated to end the session by Sunday, and did so with three days to spare.

One of the final bills to come out of the session was Senate Bill 1547, which commits the state to phase out coal powered energy by 2035 and increase the amount of renewable energy powering the state to 50 percent by 2040.

Ry Schwark is spokesman for Pacific Power, the utility company that serves the second most people in the state and supports the bill.

"Our analysis showed that if we made a purchase today, renewables are 20 percent cheaper than an alternative natural gas," he states.

Portland General Electric, Oregon's top utility provider, also supports the bill.

Schwark says another benefit is that once the infrastructure for wind turbines or solar panels is built and paid for, there are no more fuel costs associated with those sources.

"Where if I build a new natural gas plant, I expose my customers to the potential future volatility of natural gas prices,” Schwark adds. “If natural gas prices go up significantly, those costs end up getting passed on to customers.

“So having a resource that does not have a fuel cost is a real benefit in protecting future customer rates."

While Schwark admits building an infrastructure for renewable energy will cost money, he says there are comparable costs for maintaining the region's aging coal plants.

Bob Jenks is executive director of the Citizens' Utility Board of Oregon, a consumer advocacy group that worked with lawmakers on this bill.

"Creating this bill wasn't easy,” he relates. “The utilities and the environmental community didn't start on the same page. It took quite a bit of talking for people to start to understand what the other side's concerns were and what needed to be done to bring people together."

The bill now awaits Gov. Kate Brown's signature to become law.







get more stories like this via email

more stories
The U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments this week about the popular abortion pill Mifepristone and will weigh in on whether the U.S. Food and Drug Administration was correct in how it can be dosed and prescribed. (Ascannio/Adobe Stock)

Health and Wellness

play sound

Missouri residents are worried about future access to birth control. The latest survey from The Right Time, an initiative based in Missouri…


Social Issues

play sound

Wisconsin children from low-income families are now on track to get nutritious foods over the summer. Federal officials have approved the Badger …

Social Issues

play sound

Almost 2,900 people are unsheltered on any given night in the Beehive State. Gov. Spencer Cox is celebrating signing nine bills he says are geared …


The U.S. teaching workforce remains primarily white while the percentage of Black teachers has declined. However, the percentage of Asian and Latinx teachers is rising.(WavebreakMediaMicro/Adobestock)

Social Issues

play sound

Education advocates are calling on lawmakers to increase funding for programs to combat the teacher shortage. Around 37% of schools nationwide …

Health and Wellness

play sound

A recent report examined how some rural Tennessee hospitals have managed to stay afloat despite financial challenges. The report includes interviews …

Many factors affect a customer's bill amount, including energy usage, weather, and the number of days in a billing period, according to Arizona Public Service. (Jason Yoder/Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

Earlier this month, a new Arizona Public Service rate hike went into effect and one senior advocacy group said those on a fixed income may struggle …

Social Issues

play sound

Michigan recently implemented a significant juvenile justice reform package following recommendations from a task force made up of prosecutors…

Health and Wellness

play sound

Medicare and Medicaid are key sources of health coverage for many Americans and some people qualify for assistance under both programs. With lagging …

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021