In 1997 Oregon became the first state in the nation to adopt legislation regulating
greenhouse gases. The law requires new Oregon power plants (and other large
energy facilities) to offset a significant portion of their carbon dioxide
emissions. While emitters may choose to offset the emissions through their
own investments, all of the regulated power plants to date have utilized the
Climate Trust to achieve compliance.
The Climate Trust invests the offset funds it receives from the Oregon Standard regulated power plants into high-quality projects that reduce atmospheric carbon dioxide levels. To date, over 1.5 million metric tons of carbon dioxide have been offset through The Climate Trusts Oregon Power Plant Offset Program.
Oregon Standard Specifics:
All new power developers must build and offset their energy facilities to
meet a carbon dioxide emissions target that is 17% better than the most efficient
base-load gas plant currently operating in the U.S.
A power plant can go partway in meeting the standard, but manufacturers do
not offer technologies that could meet the standard solely through efficiency.
If a coal or natural gas plant is going to get built in Oregon, it must offset
its emissions
The Climate Trust is the leading offset provider under the Oregon Standard,
and the organization of choice to provide offsets for regulated Oregon power
plants
In 1997, the Oregon legislature gave the Energy Facility Siting Council authority
to set carbon dioxide emissions standards for new energy facilities. The current
rules for the Oregon Standard are in the Oregon Administrative Rules, Chapter
345, Division 24
The text for the innovative Oregon law regulating the carbon dioxide offset
standard can be found in House Bill 3283
The following power developers have chosen The Climate Trust to meet the Oregon Standard:
Coyote Springs 2 A 253 MW natural gas combined-cycle combustion turbine
