Climate Related Lawsuits: Oregon and…
State, Regional, National, and Global CE News
Note: Members of the public are invited to join an upcoming workshop series hosted by the Department of Land Conservation and Development (DLCD). “DLCD is pleased to announce six workshops in western Oregon where the public will be invited to share how climate change is affecting their quality of life.” Events happening throughout March. Register online.
Climate Emergency Priorities
The League has identified six priority CE policy and budget topics. Find in previous LR reports additional background on each priority. Following are updates on those six topics:
1. Natural and Working Lands: Establishes Natural and Working Lands (NWL) Fund, carbon sequestration opportunities…: Natural Climate Solutions SB 530. Public Hearing is Scheduled 2/15/23 in SEN E&E. Josie Koehne is the CE team member leading this effort. Please see recent 2/6 LWVOR Action NWL Alert.
2. Resilient Buildings (RB): Refer to the adopted Legislative Joint Task Force on Resilient Efficient Buildings (REB) Dec 13 Report. It’s likely these will be posted to OLIS in mid Feb. by Senator Lieber and Rep Marsh. The League is an active RB coalition partner. BR campaign guiding principles. Oregon RB in the news, here. and here. A big welcome to Arlene Sherrett, a new League and new CE team member; she will focus on REB, and Transportation portfolios.
3. Environmental Justice (EJ): 2023 Leg bills are still being posted, which address (support or oppose) new or on-going EJ topics. Find DEQ EJ work: Performance Partnership Agreement : Oregon Department of Environmental Qualityand U.S. EPA Region 10 Performance Partnership Agreement. In the news: ‘Farmworker advocate legislative priorities include language access’ | Statesman Journal. The League is following this topic and likely will support.
A conversation with Robert Bullard, ‘father of environmental justice’ » Yale Climate Connections
4. Oregon Climate Action Commission (currently Oregon Global Warming Commission): Roadmap, SB 522, will change "Oregon Global Warming Commission" to "Oregon Climate Action Commission" and modify membership and duties of commission and state greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets/goals. Find more about this Bill in Clean Energy LR below.
5. Other Governor Climate / Carbon Policy Topics: See 20-04 Executive Order topics. This area includes other GHG emission mitigation/ reductions and new clean renewable energy (DOE), OHA public health, and DOT Dept of Transportation policy and funding bills.
6. CE related total 2023-2025 biennium budget: The governor’s budget* was published Jan 31; Kotek’s budget priorities. A main funding problem concerns how the favorable ending current period balance, estimated to be >$765M, can be used. It will take a 3/5 vote to pass this proposed change. ‘Kotek proposes spending $765M from reserves on homeless, other crises’| Statesman Journal.
It’s unclear at this point if the estimated >$100M in CE related state agency POPs and new Legislative funding (* budget items will come from over 22 state agencies including 14 NR agencies, OHA, DAS, ODOT, ODOE, etc.) is reflected in Governor Kotek’s new 1/31 Budget. More specifics next week.
It is expected some portion of the agency funding requests are specifically related to addressing multiple federal grant opportunities. (see Congressional major new funding since 2020: IIJA, IRA, Chips and what’s left in the ARPA and Dec 2022 Omnibus compromise)
Other CE Bills
By Claudia Keith
The League may support or just follow these bills. (This is a preliminary list; a number of bills are not yet posted to OLIS.)
Natural Working Lands: See Rep Pham’s urban forestry bill, HB 3016, Rep Holvey’s severance tax bill, HB 3025 to replace the harvest tax, and ODF’s Regular Harvest tax bill, HB 2087. SB 88 climate smart Ag increases net carbon sequestration and storage in natural and working lands. Requested: Senate Interim Committee on Natural Resources and Wildfire Recovery. See Keep Oregon Cool, Natural Working Lands.
Fossil Fuel (FF) Divestment: HB 2601 Oregon FF Divestment … Requires State Treasurer to address the urgency and risk associated with Fossil Fuel energy investments. Chief Sponsors: Rep Pham K, Senator Golden, Rep Gamba. Green Infrastructure: HB 3016 community green infrastructure, Rep Pham K, Senator Dembrow, Rep Gamba. Public & Green Banking: SB501 Bank of the state of Oregon Sen Golden. HB 2763 Create a State public bank Task Force, Rep Gamba, Sen Golden, Rep Walters.
Interstate 5 Bridge Legislation: Interstate Bridge Replacement Program (IBRP) factsheet ODOT and WDOT. 12 Things the Oregon Legislature Should Know About IBRP - Just Crossing Alliance. It is likely policy and or just funding bills will be heard and likely moved by this IBRP Legislative Joint Committee. The goal: ‘Replacing the aging Interstate Bridge with a modern, earthquake resilient, multimodal structure is a high priority for Oregon and Washington…. ‘. We welcome Liz Steward (LWVPDX) who has agreed to be a League Observer on the topic.
Clean Energy
By Kathy Moyd
Activity Last Week and Next Week. We did not provide testimony for any bills.
HB 2530 Renewable Hydrogen
The House Climate, Energy, and Environment Committee (HCEE) held a public hearing February 6 on HB 2530, which as introduced would require the Oregon Department of Energy (ODOE) to convene a work group to "examine, evaluate and develop statewide strategies to accelerate the development of a state renewable hydrogen industry and related infrastructure, technologies and end uses." Testimony focused on a -1 amendment that would replace the entire original bill with just the proposed definitions of "renewable" and "green electrolytic" hydrogen for purposes of future legislation. The definitions are based on existing statutory language in CA and WA to promote regional consistency.
The League opted not to provide testimony because the amendment had not been posted. The reason given for eliminating the rest of the bill was that generation and use of hydrogen should be included in the bill in development dealing with the energy use in the state, not stand-alone. We will start working on testimony for that bill as soon as text is available.
No testimony is planned for next week.
Oregon Economic Analysis
By Claudia Keith
The next Oregon Economic and Revenue Forecast is scheduled for Feb 22. It is unclear how the congressional debt ceiling issue, security market volatility, inflation – Fed/banking issues and other global risks will develop. The last State of Oregon quarterly forecast assumed a likely mild recession in 2023. Oregon Bond rating continues to be above average.
The Oregon Office of Economic Analysis has never conformed to what is now recommended in the SEC Climate Risk disclosure rule. SEC Plans to Finalize
See supportive LWVOR-initiated LWVUS Testimony, June 2022.
Oregon Treasury
By Claudia Keith
It is unclear how Oregon Treasury / Treasurer Tobias will assist with addressing the $20B Federal IRA funds which are contingent on formation of an Oregon Green Bank. ‘'Green Banks,' Poised for Billions in Climate Funds, Draw States' Attention | The Pew Charitable Trusts. Related, The start of America’s infrastructure decade: How macroeconomic factors may shape local strategies | Brookings.
Additionally, the SEC new Climate risk guidelines will affect investing and reporting decisions. Perhaps a temporary reprieve, ‘Pushback On The SEC’s Proposed Climate Risk Disclosure Rules Is A Good Sign ‘ | Forbes. Corporate Boards Are Ramping Up These Sustainability Priorities | Bloomberg. SEC’s Gensler weighs scaling back climate rule as lawsuits loom - POLITICO
It's concerning to the League how these major issues will affect Oregon’s economy.
Climate Related Lawsuits: Oregon and…
By Claudia Keith
Numerous lawsuits are challenging Oregon’s DEQ CPP regulations. Here is one example of how to track them. Basically, there are a number of active state and federal lawsuits, (Feb 2023 update) some of which could assist in meeting Oregon's Net Zero GHG Emissions before 2050 targets and other lawsuits which challenge current Oregon DEQ CPP policy, which would limit the use of fossil fuels, including diesel, natural gas, and propane over time.
Another source: Columbia University Law - Sabin Climate DB lists 60 lawsuits with OREGON mentioned. News: How the Supreme Court could finally force Big Oil to face trial | Grist
State, Regional, National, and Global CE News
By Claudia Keith
The Real Obstacle to Nuclear Power - The Atlantic. Eugene becomes first Oregon city to ban natural gas hookups | Energy News Network. A Portland high school student has Oregon governor’s ear on environmental justice - oregonlive.com
The Oregon Lab Where Scientists Are Riding the Waves to a Brighter Future - Atlas Obscura. Farmers, gardeners collaborate on dry farming in Oregon – OPB. Oregon could give consumers right to repair phones, computers | Statesman Journal.
Fighting climate change was costly. Now it’s profitable. - The Atlantic. Opinion | Greta Thunberg: ‘The World Is Getting More Grim by the Day’ - The New York Times. How the EPA values human lives lost to climate change | NPR. Vice President Kamala Harris talks about climate change at Georgia Tech – UPI. Renewables are on track to satiate the world's appetite for electricity - The Washington Post. Biden takes victory lap on climate bill in State of the Union | The Hill and E&E. Busting three myths about materials and renewable energy | MIT Technology Review
Local League Climate Updates
By Claudia Keith
Request to Local Leagues; please let us know your climate, resilience, or sustainability advocacy actions. Each city and county in Oregon should have a Climate and or Resiliency Plan. Only these Oregon 14 cities have CAPs.
Over 2300 countries, cities, counties have pledged ‘Climate emergency declarations’ in 2,318 jurisdictions and local governments cover 1 billion citizens - Climate Emergency Declaration….
National Governments
18 national governments and the EU have declared a climate emergency. The EU is counted as one jurisdiction in the ‘jurisdictions total’ but has not been included in the country count.’
Volunteers Needed
By Claudia Keith
Please consider joining the CE portfolio team; we lack volunteers in these critical policy and law areas:
Natural and Working lands, specifically Agriculture/ODA
Climate Related Lawsuits/Our Children’s Trust
Public Health Climate Adaptation (OHA)
Regional Solutions / Infrastructure (with NR team)
State Procurement Practices (DAS: Dept. of Admin. Services)
CE Portfolio State Agency and Commission Budgets
We collaborate with Natural Resource Action members on many Climate Change mitigation and adaptation policy topics. Volunteers are needed: The 2023 legislative session began Jan 17. If any area of Climate Emergency interests you, please contact Claudia Keith, CE Coordinator. Orientation to Legislative and State Agency advocacy processes is available.