Get the latest delivered to your inbox
Privacy Policy

Now Reading

PacifiCorp joins California Climate Action Registry to Publicly Report Greenhouse Gas Emissions

PacifiCorp joins California Climate Action Registry to Publicly Report Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Published 02-11-04

Submitted by California Climate Action Registry

SAN FRANCISCO - PacifiCorp became the first utility headquartered outside of California this week to join the California Climate Action Registry, a nonprofit organization recognized as the standard setter for reporting and tracking greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. PacifiCorp serves retail electricity customers in six western states as Pacific Power and Utah Power.

The Registry encourages voluntary actions to increase energy efficiency and decrease GHG emissions. The Registry helps companies and organizations establish GHG emissions baselines against which any future GHG emission reduction requirements may be applied.

Terry Tamminen, California’s Environmental Protection Agency secretary and Registry board member, recently said the Registry’s “protocols are recognized as a gold standard in the increasingly important world of measuring and verifying efforts to minimize climate change impacts.”

Ralph Cavanagh, energy program director for the Natural Resources Defense Council, lauded the move. "NRDC welcomes PacifiCorp to the distinguished, extended family of Registry participants, and looks forward to many productive joint ventures in reducing greenhouse gas emissions," Cavanagh said.

"By joining the Registry, environmentally progressive firms such as PacifiCorp gain valuable experience in measuring and managing their greenhouse gas emissions, often saving money and improving the efficiency of their operations,” said Diane Wittenberg, California Registry president. “These are the leaders who are helping to provide greater clarity on policies to address climate change."

“We already report our greenhouse gas emissions, but this is a means of enhancing our accounting systems,” explained Bill Edmonds, PacifiCorp’s director of Environmental Policy. “Joining the Registry allows us to build upon our work to combat global climate change by teaming up with environmental groups, corporations and regulators to set and meet common standards.”

Registry participants include businesses, nonprofit organizations, municipalities, state agencies and other entities. When organizations join the Registry, they are encouraged to report their national, as well as statewide, emissions. These results must then be certified by a state-approved third party.

PacifiCorp will report emissions from its entire six-state service area.

The announcement comes on the heels of PacifiCorp’s announcement last week that it is seeking proposals for 1,100 megawatts of the renewable power for its customers by 2010. This is one of the largest requests in the country for renewable energy projects from an investor-owned utility.

About The California Climate Action Registry

The California Climate Action Registry (CA Registry) is a voluntary greenhouse gas registry that accepts emissions data from state and national entities. The CA Registry’s members include major corporations, government agencies and NGOs. The State of California commits to use its best efforts to ensure that organizations that register emissions results with the CA Registry receive appropriate consideration under any future regulatory scheme. For more information, please visit www.climateregistry.org.

About PacifiCorp

PacifiCorp is one of the lowest-cost electricity producers in the United States, providing more than 1.5 million customers with reliable, efficient energy. The company works to meet growing energy demand while protecting and enhancing the environment. PacifiCorp has more than 8,300 megawatts of generation capacity from coal, hydro, renewable wind power, gas-fired combustion turbines and geothermal. PacifiCorp operates as Pacific Power in Oregon, Wyoming, Washington and California; and as Utah Power in Utah and Idaho. For more information, please visit www.pacificorp.com.

California Climate Action Registry

California Climate Action Registry

More from California Climate Action Registry

Join today and get the latest delivered to your inbox