Oregon’s new Climate Action Plan, which passed in December, is under attack from a coalition of Oregon businesses opposed to its administrative rules.
The plan aims to have a 90% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from transportation fuel and natural gas by 2050.
On Friday, 12 industry trade groups said the rules “hold suppliers directly accountable” for the emissions of the entire state. Among the trades represented on Friday were farming, ranching, manufacturing, retail businesses, and logging.
Mary Anne Cooper of the Oregon Farm Bureau made a statement, saying that the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) “overstepped its authority.”
Cooper also said that “Oregonians should not stand for a state agency writing policies that it does not have the authority to write, and it sets a dangerous precedent for the future.”
The Climate Protection Plan does what Oregon Democratic lawmakers have been trying to do for years – cap emissions from gasoline, diesel, propane, kerosene, and natural gas, further restricting them over time.
The rules that are under attack currently include financial penalties for companies that don’t meet emission reduction targets and the inherent increased costs for fuel suppliers.
This will likely leave both Oregonians and their businesses only two choices. First, they could simply stop using fossil fuels. Second, they could pay far more for their fuels over the coming years.
DEQ staff have noted that the agency will track prices in Oregon and neighboring states to ensure prices don’t increase more than expected. Should they rise more than 20% over nearby states, the program will be reviewed to see if changes are needed.
By Ethan Hauck
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