10/22/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 10/22/2024 15:29
As we eagerly await the release of the final rules for Oregon's Climate Protection Program (CPP), OEC and our partners in the Coalition for Climate and Economic Justice extend a sincere "Thank YOU" to everyone who took the time to submit public comments to help restore this vital program. Together, we've taken critical, local action in the global fight against climate change. The Power of Our Collective Voices
The public comments submitted to the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) - alongside the hundreds of comments submitted by OEC, our partners, and supporters - emphatically reinforce our shared commitment to the Climate Protection Program and the future of our state. To amplify our shared goal of restoring the CPP, OEC joined forces with environmental justice, climate, and community-based partner organizations from across the state. We formed the Coalition for Climate and Economic Justice. In total, the Coalition for Climate and Economic Justice boasted nearly 50 member groups representing thousands of Oregonians. Collectively, we teamed up with hundreds of advocates to push back against the oil and gas industry's attempts to weaken our state's critical climate protections. Thank you for your unwavering support of this vital program.
Restoring the CPP is more than just an environmental necessity - it's also a historic opportunity for state leaders to prioritize the health and well-being of our communities. If our shared expectations for the restored CPP are met, fossil fuel companies will be required to cut their pollution by 90% by 2050. With the CPP in play, Oregon will also usher in a new Community Climate Investment (CCI) Program. Every year, this innovative program would direct $150+ million towards clean energy projects to the communities across Oregon most impacted by climate change.
With the CPP, Oregon can take a significant step toward meaningfully cutting pollution and creating a sustainable and just future for all residents.
Necessary Elements For a Successful CPP
With your support, we sent the Department of Environmental Quality a clear message : It's time for Oregon to restore a strong CPP that delivers climate justice, follows the science, and holds industrial polluters accountable.
As part of the Coalition for Climate and Economic Justice, OEC shared the following specifics with DEQ on CPP rule language we support and oppose.
CPP Rule Language We Support:
CPP RULES WE OPPOSE:
- How Did Oregon Get Here? Initially implemented in January 2022, the Climate Protection Program was a groundbreaking regulatory effort to reduce greenhouse gas pollution by oil and gas companies in Oregon. The CPP targeted a 35% cut in carbon emissions by 2035 - and a 90% cut by 2050. It also set up a program to enable $150 million in annual investments for clean energy projects in communities across Oregon. At the time, the CPP was a historic victory for Oregon's climate, local economies, and for Oregonians - especially Black, Indigenous, people of color, low-income, and rural communities who stand to benefit the most from emissions reductions and local clean energy investments. Then, late in 2023, the CPP was derailed when the oil and gas industry sued to overturn the program. The lawsuit was a devastating blow to our environment, and our most marginalized communities. OEC covered the details of this oil and gas industry lawsuitat the time, and sounded the alarm. Thankfully, DEQ and Governor Kotek responded with a bold commitment to restore the CPP, and launched a rulemaking to reinstate the rules by the end of 2024.
Rollout of CPP Final Rules
Right now, DEQ is hard at work developing updated, final rules for the CPP. The public comments submitted by OEC, our partners in the CCEJ, and from fellow advocates like you will be referenced as DEQ considers key elements of this program including the timeframe for increasing emissions caps, as well as the distribution mechanisms for clean energy project funds.
DEQ is expected to release final CPP rules later this month or by early-November. OEC will publish a detailed assessment of these rules along with the expected outcomes for our state. While we await these vital regulations, we want to share our sincere appreciation to all of you who raised your voice in support of a strong CPP. Thank you for joining with us, our coalition partners, and hundreds of your fellow Oregonians to speak up on behalf of our environment and for our future!
OEC's New Executive Director: Jana Gastellum
A message from Phil Wu, OEC Board President: On behalf of OEC's board of directors, I'm delighted for this opportunity to share the good news that, after conducting an extensive national search, we have voted unanimously to select Jana Gastellum as OEC's new Executive Director, effective October 1. Jana led OEC's Climate Program for a decade and for the past two yea
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OEC's Youngest Member - Welcome!
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Click the arrows on either side of the image to flip through OEC's impact this fall.
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After Many Wonderful Years With OEC
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