Oregon is ready to kick its filthy coal habit, and now it has passed a law to hold itself to this pledge. The Clean Energy and Coal Transition Act blocks the state’s largest power companies from purchasing coal-based electricity by 2030. By taking this important step, the state will effectively double its reliance on renewable energy in the upcoming decades. Moreover, Oregon’s energy should be approximately 80% carbon-free by the year 2040.
The coal-free plan got an initial push when eco-conscious citizens started preparing a coal-centric ballot measure. The utility companies were afraid that the kind of change the proposition would require would be unfeasible and crippling to their businesses, so state representatives stepped in to see if they could pass a law through the legislature ahead of a ballot measure that would be mutually satisfactory to all parties.
The coal-free plan got an initial push when eco-conscious citizens started preparing a coal-centric ballot measure. The utility companies were afraid that the kind of change the proposition would require would be unfeasible and crippling to their businesses, so state representatives stepped in to see if they could pass a law through the legislature ahead of a ballot measure that would be mutually satisfactory to all parties.