The Evergreen Power States
New data from the US Department of Energy reveal that Oregon and Washington rock.
Together those two states, with just 3.5 of the nation's population, have accounted for more than 24 percent of all new renewable power in the United States this year. And that doesn't include hydro.
The lesson here is not that the Northwest is super-duper special, but that this kind of clean power surge can happen anywhere. Neither state is uncommonly well-suited for new renewable projects. We're famous for our lack of sun, so solar's not a great option. Parts of the region are windy, but plenty of other places are windier.
What Oregon and Washington do have going for them is the foresight to make smart investments. So I say: both states should get credit for aggressively pursuing an array of technologies and solutions. It's also a case where virtue is its own reward: a robust clean power portfolio makes it easy for the Northwest to adapt to new policies that will crimp greenhouse gases.
The more early action like this, the smoother the transition to a carbon-constrained economy. As a result of these investments the Northwest will be better-positioned to succeed in that era than many other places.
More details below the jump.
Cleaned-up Climate Pricing 101
As promised, we're continuing to make improvements to our climate pricing primer. I think it's a lot clearer than it was.
So far, readers have asked to see some explanation of why grandfathering permits creates private windfalls; whether so-called "safety valves" are a good idea; and whether there would be "leakage" from a cap and trade program. We're developing answers to those, and other, questions now -- tune in later for more.
You can also check out all our climate resources and tools here, and then let us know what you'd like to see next.
Recent improvements are due largely to the big-brained Yoram Bauman, who offered many helpful suggestions.
