Pacific Northwest already ahead of climate plan

What President Barack Obama proposes in his new climate action plan is what’s already happening in the Pacific Northwest through the Northwest Power and Conservation Council’s Northwest Power Plan.

We are meeting new demand for power largely through improved energy efficiency, which costs less than one-third as much as energy from new generating plants. This enhances and extends the benefits we already enjoy in the Northwest from our extensive hydropower system.

In fact, in an average water year, energy efficiency is the second-largest component of the regional power supply.

While the transportation sector of the economy still accounts for the largest share of carbon emissions in the Northwest, we are making great strides in reducing carbon emissions from the electricity sector.

In fact, the Northwest electricity supply is 70-percent carbon-free, thanks to large amounts of energy efficiency, hydropower and wind power. Planned retirements of two coal-fired power plants in the Northwest will help further reduce carbon emissions.

The President said June 25 that energy efficiency is one of the clearest and most cost-effective ways to save families money, make businesses more competitive, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. We agree.

Thanks to the vision of the Northwest Power Act in 1980, which made efficiency the highest-priority resource to meet new demand for power, the Northwest has improved electric energy efficiency by 5,100 average megawatts, or the equivalent power demand of five cities the size of Seattle.

This efficiency saved Northwest ratepayers $3.1 billion and reduced carbon dioxide emissions by 19.8 million metric tons in 2011 alone, compared to the cost and carbon emissions of generating that much electricity.

I like to tell people that energy efficiency has become a way of life in the Pacific Northwest. Not only is it one of our largest sources of energy, it also saves us money, and it reduces carbon emissions from the electricity sector of the economy.

Bill Bradbury is the chairman of the Northwest Power and Conservation Council.