HB 4135 Accelerates Transportation Electrification

02/01/2020
VOTE: NO – Died In Committee
Status (overview) of bill: https://olis.oregonlegislature.gov/liz/2020R1/Measures/Overview/HB4135
Committee assigned to bill: https://olis.oregonlegislature.gov/liz/2020R1/Committees/HEE/Overview

This bill requires electric companies to expend any revenues from participation as credit aggregator or credit generator in clean fuels program on transportation electrification. Requires electric companies to invest one percent of total rates collected in programs to accelerate transportation electrification.

Fiscal Responsibility
Utilities shall invest no less than one percent of the total rates collected annually by the consumer-owned utility from customers in programs to accelerate transportation electrification until 2026. An electric company that is a credit aggregator or credit generator and that receives revenues through the sale of credits under the clean fuels program shall use the revenues for programs to accelerate transportation electrification. In addition to the one percent electric companies are required to invest, an electric company is allowed to recover costs from all ratepayers for prudent investments or expenses in infrastructure measures, including infrastructure measures behind the meter, that support transportation electrification.

Limited Government
A republic government does not pick winners or losers. Buying and selling credits that aren’t attached to anything of value is a scam to collect revenue to support government predetermined goals. Electric vehicles still uses fuels to generate electricity, and add an impact to the electric grid, which should be studied for rolling blackouts. When taking well-to-wheel emissions into account, all-electric vehicles emit an average of around 4,450 pounds of CO2 equivalent each year. By comparison, conventional gasoline cars will emit twice as much annually.

In Oregon hydro power provides at least half of the net electricity generated. The greenhouse effect from the emissions from reservoirs  may be equal to or greater than the greenhouse effect of the carbon dioxide emissions from an equivalent amount of electricity generation with fossil fuels. (according to Brazil’s National Institute for Space Research) Natural gas fuels, considered the “cleanest” fossil fuel emitting 50 to 60 percent less carbon dioxide than coal, is the second-largest share at one-fourth with coal third and wind, biomass, solar, and geothermal power providing the rest.

It is not a given that electrification of our transportation will accomplish anything but a burden on the economy.