Oregon Public Broadcasting

Governor Ted Kulongoski unveiled a comprehensive proposal Monday to tackle global climate change.

He has four goals:  reducing greenhouse gases; increasing energy efficiency; creating more renewable energy and developing more sustainable transportation options.

As Kristian Foden-Vencil reports, the governor’s plan is his  blueprint for the coming legislative session and he says, it’s good for both the environment and business.

Kulongoski  gathered a room full of business and political leaders inside a green building in the new South Waterfront development.

Ted Kulongoski: “I want Oregon to lead the nation in cutting greenhouse gasses and developing clean sources of energy. Not only because it’s the right thing to do, but because that’s who we are as Oregonians.”

Kulongoski outlined an ambitious plan.

Ted Kulongoski: “What the beach bill and the bottle bill were to Oregon in the 1970’s, renewable energy and energy efficiency will be to Oregon this decade and for decades to come.”

His plan includes expanding the state’s greenhouse gas reporting system – with a view to creating a new cap and trade program for carbon emissions.

He wants to stop the creating  of any new power generation that has excessive carbon emissions. And he wants to require energy certificates for any home sale, so buyers know how energy efficient it is. 

His plan would  expand tax credits -- to encourage people to put solar panels on their rooftops, and to take tax credits away from hybrid cars – so they can be given to electric cars.

What Kulongoski did not include in in his plan, however, was a cost.

Ted Kulongoski: “I don’t know what the total price is, but I can tell you this, there is nothing in this list that is not achievable, even under the current fiscal system of this state. We can do this.”

Later, a spokeswoman for the Governor’s office said the price tag would be less than $10 million.  That’s not large in comparison to the state budget.

Indeed, Republican leaders like Senator Ted Ferrioli welcomed aspects of the plan.

Ted Ferrioli: “We need to be thinking boldly and I think that’s what I see in this proposal is bold thinking. The only cautionary note is that we don’t rush headlong before we know what the benefits are, what the costs are how those things trade off.”

Ferrioli emphasized that Oregonians simply can’t shoulder any more rate hikes or expensive regulations.

The state legislature will convene in January.