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GUEST OPINION Guest Opinion: Pacific Power joins American Business Act on Climate Pledge Comment By Stefan Bird MailTribune.com By Stefan Bird Posted Aug. 15, 2015 at 2:00 AM Updated Aug 15, 2015 at 11:31 AM By Stefan Bird Posted Aug. 15, 2015 at 2:00 AM Updated Aug 15, 2015 at 11:31 AM » Social News Recently, Berkshire Hathaway Energy, of which Pacific Power is a part, was the first energy company to sign the American Business Act on Climate Pledge in a ceremony at the White House. Apple, Google, Microsoft, Alcoa and others joined in this commitment to act to address climate change. Climate change is a global problem, and Pacific Power supports efforts to negotiate an achievable and sustainable treaty that drives real global reduction in carbon emissions during the climate talks in Paris, scheduled for late this year. In our pledge, we committed to bring over a 1,000 megawatts of new solar and wind generation, roughly enough power for 164,000 homes, onto our grid over the next two years. Berkshire Hathaway Energy also announced that it will commit an additional $15 billion to new renewable generation projects, on top of the $15 billion that has already been built. While these steps are significant, they’re only the latest in our multi-year journey to transition in a measured way to a lower carbon future while ensuring reliability and affordability for our customers. The company’s long-range plans include the closure or conversion of 10 units of coal generation by 2029. We, in fact, closed two of those units in April. Our plans reduce coal generation as a source of energy by 40 percent over the next 15 years. As businesses and populations grow, demand for electricity continues to rise, but we’re investing significantly in energy efficiency programs to reduce the need for new generation facilities. We expect to address fully 86 percent of that growth with energy efficiency programs so that we won’t have to build a new thermal generating plant until at least 2028. Most folks don’t know this, but we are the largest utility owner of wind generation in the Western U.S. Under Berkshire Hathaway Energy ownership, we have invested more than $2 billion in wind and solar generation. Integrating more renewables and maintaining grid reliability can be a challenge. Through our partnership with the California grid operator to implement the Energy Imbalance Market across six Western states, we are transforming the way that renewables are integrated into the electrical grid. Our job is to generate and deliver reliable, low-cost electricity for our customers, while respecting the resources we use and the impacts they have on the environment. It is all about striking a balance. We can keep the power flowing and protect the environment. We can transition away from coal-fired generation in a sensible, cost-effective way while continuing to invest wisely in renewable resources that benefit our customers. Working together, we can create a sustainable energy future for all of us that keeps costs low and reduces impacts on the environment. Stefan Bird is president and CEO of Pacific Power. By Stefan Bird MailTribune.com By Stefan Bird Posted Aug. 15, 2015 at 2:00 AM Updated Aug 15, 2015 at 11:31 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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