Eugene, OR Water and Electric Board Climate Change Policy

Type: Policy

Status: Adopted on 9/18/07

Source File: http://www.eweb.org/About/commissioners/meetings/2007/070918/CC7.pdf

Text:

For at least 25 years EWEB has recognized the benefit of planning for the future and has recognized that environmental protection and enhancement are sound business practices as well as part of the public trust responsibility we assume as the electricity and water provider for our community. Future climate change represents an environmental, economic and social risk to EWEB, our customers, and others. To address these risks EWEB resolves to:

• Participate in local, state, national and international efforts to encourage mitigation of emissions that contribute to global climate change.
• Support equitable distribution of mitigation efforts between power production and consumption, fuel producers, utilities, and consumers, recognizing there are other sources of emissions that must also be addressed including those from manufacturing and transportation
• EWEB will continue collaborative efforts to develop legislative policies that ensure costs are fairly distributed, mitigation incentives actually result in reduction of Greenhouse Gases (GHGs) and a reasonable cost of power is maintained.

These efforts will focus on State and Local policies recognizing that we believe development of a national policy will follow on successes at regional levels.

• EWEB recognizes the importance of education, research and adaptation to potential climate change scenarios.
• We support development of specific strategies to identify and cope with effects of local climate change.
• We will continue to fund and support academic research on local climate change effects and educational efforts in the schools to inform and encourage the next generation of citizens.

EWEB will continue our work to reduce or offset the greenhouse gas emissions of our energy resource portfolio by providing resources and technical assistance to support energy conservation, acquiring more renewable energy resources when possible and by reducing the energy consumption and consequent GHG emissions from our own facilities and fleet.

EWEB further recognizes that a successful climate change policy must include consideration of all socio-economic sectors of our community. Our community efforts will include working with businesses, institutions, and individual customers to ensure that disproportionate impacts to low and fixed income customers are avoided.

Staff will develop a three to five year operational plan that moves the utility toward the overall objectives of mitigation and adaptation to climate change. This plan will be updated on an annual basis to reflect EWEB priorities and will include the following initiatives:

1. Conduct a preliminary inventory of EWEB operational GHG emissions as the first step to developing a reduction strategy.
2. Develop a specific plan for compliance with Oregon legislation that would establish a CO2 cap and trade regulatory system.
3. Develop specific low and fixed-income programs that provide climate change responses and opportunities for people and families least able to plan and prepare for it.
4. To address supply side opportunities for GHG reductions and liabilities in terms of resource performance, EWEB will update its IERP during 2009.
5. To address operational impacts of climate change
   

a. Assess climate change exposures for EWEB physical plant/facilities

b. Develop water supply model for the McKenzie Basin

c. Study impacts of water supply scenarios on demand for and treatment of water, conveyance and storage

d. Study changes in electricity demand and supply scenarios and effects on operations

6. Continue to support conservation, efficiency and ways to increase the value of electric and water services.

7. Support development and implementation of innovative technologies or solutions that result in economic opportunities for our community.