Oregon lawmakers form carbon reduction committee

Oregon House Speaker Tina Kotek and Senate President Peter Courtney announced Friday they will convene and co-chair a special Joint Committee on Carbon Reduction to continue the efforts to cut statewide carbon emissions and grow Oregon’s clean energy economy.

The work of the Joint Committee on Carbon Reduction will focus on creating a cap-and-invest program for passage in the 2019 legislative session by building on this year’s Clean Energy Jobs bills (HB 4001 and SB 1507), they said in a news release, which continues:

To support this effort, the Legislature will fund studies to analyze the economic impact of a cap-and-invest program, understand any impacts on traded sector industries, and examine ways to utilize Oregon’s forests and fields to sequester and store carbon. These efforts and studies will be overseen by the newly created Carbon Policy Office, and will inform the Joint Committee.

“Oregon’s economic and environmental future depends on us working together to get a carbon reduction plan in place by 2021,” Speaker Kotek said. “We must maintain the momentum for passing a cap-and-invest bill in next year’s session.”

“Urban or rural, Democrat or Republican, we share the same state, same air, same environment, and the same planet. It’s time human nature starts taking care of Mother Nature. It is the time for us to address this issue. That’s why I am joining the Speaker in creating and serving on this important committee,” said President Courtney.