Renewables Portfolio Standards

In the Spring of 2006, the PNUCC Board of Directors launched an effort to identify issues associated with designing and implementing Renewables Portfolio Standards for Northwest utilities.  A Task Force was asked to provide credible information to ratepayers, utility managers, policy makers and elected officials about these standards and to identify issues associated with implementing them.  The Task Force reviewed the status of Renewables Portfolio Standards not only for the four Northwest states, but also for the nation.  At the time the work effort began, the state of Montana had adopted a standard, the state of Washington had an initiative on its November 2006 ballot, and the state of Oregon had a Governor-initiated task force to develop a proposal for the 2007 legislature.  The PNUCC Task Force developed a bibliography of relevant documents and published a Progress Report in January 2007.  In May, the PNUCC Board of Directors adopted a Position Paper that ariculated several key messages regarding legislation on Renewable Portfolio Standards.