Letter: Take a close, critical look at any cap-and-trade bill (April 16)

CORVALLIS GAZETTE TIMES, 3/16/2009 Letter to the editor by Jean Nelson - Senate Bill 80, touted as the bill that will reduce Oregon greenhouse gas, is being discussed by the Oregon Legislature.

Recently Gov. Ted Kulongoski sent lawmakers his amendments to SB 80.

Section 3 (b) (i) states, “no investor owned utility, as defined in ORS 757.812 may import, sell, deliver or distribute carbon based electricity for use in this state;” (II) no person may import, sell, deliver or distribute carbon-based fuel for use in this state; and (iii) no person may generate carbon-based electricity in-state, unless the person or investor-owned utility obtains greenhouse gas offsets equivalent to at least 60 percent of the carbon-dioxide equivalent load…” These offsets can be granted by the state at a price.

How can the governor and those who control the Legislature move forward on this plan without being sure through numerous scientific and economic studies that cap and trade is right for Oregon?

I asked legislators in both House and Senate if they had read any studies about how Oregon will be affected by carbon control schemes. They reported that they’d seen only one draft and one completed study (by Pozdena and Fruits of QuantEcon).

This work predicts cap-and-trade will result in drastic reductions in jobs, state and local revenues and personal income; increased energy costs and state-imposed limitations on available energy sources to meet the state’s goals of reducing emissions. This study wasn’t ordered by the governor.

Talk is cheap. Oregonians deserve to know what we’re getting before it’s legislated.

Jean Nelson, Corvallis