Oregon lawmakers introduce cap-and-trade bill, but success seen doubtful
By Stian Reklev and Mike Szabo, Carbon Pulse.
Two Oregon state senators on Thursday introduced draft legislation that would establish a state-wide cap-and-trade scheme from 2020, but sources said the bill stands little chance of surviving.
The Healthy Climate Act, introduced by Democrats Chris Edwards and Lee Beyer, would establish a carbon market to help Oregon meet a target of cutting GHG emissions to 75% below 1990 levels by 2050. It would also set intermediary targets of 20% below 1990 levels by 2025, and 45% below by 2035.
But a legislative source told Carbon Pulse that, in light of a recent agreement between the state’s largest utilities and environmental campaigners to all but phase out the use of coal-fired power by 2030, he would be surprised if the Edwards-Beyer bill made it out of committee.