Organization: Portland General Electric

Year: 2010

Description: WHEREAS In October 2007, a group representing the world’s 150 scientific and engineering academies, including the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, issued a report urging governments to lower greenhouse gas emissions by establishing a firm and rising price for such emissions and by doubling energy research budgets to accelerate deployment of cleaner and more efficient technologies.
 
In June 2009, the House of Representatives passed a climate change bill to regulate carbon dioxide emissions.  In September 2009, a similar legislative proposal was introduced to the Senate.  A majority of states has already entered into regional initiatives to reduce emissions in advance of the federal mandate.  A comprehensive national climate change policy is anticipated.
 
In December 2009, government and scientific leaders from around the world are gathering in Copenhagen for formal talks on implementing the 1992 United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. The collective goal is the formulation of a climate treaty as the next step beyond the soon-to-expire Kyoto Protocol that set emissions targets for industrialized nations.
 
In October 2006, a report authored by former chief economist of the World Bank, Sir Nicolas Stern, estimated that climate change will cost between 5% and 20% of global domestic product if emissions are not reduced, and that greenhouse gases can be reduced at a cost of approximately 1% of global economic growth.
 
The electric industry accounts for more carbon dioxide emissions than any other sector, including the transportation and industrial sectors.  U.S. power plants are responsible for nearly 40 percent of U.S. carbon dioxide emissions, and 10 percent of global carbon dioxide emissions.
 
Coal is the most carbon-polluting type of power generation. Coal accounted for 24% of power generation from Portland General Electric owned resources in 2008.
 
In the Carbon Disclosure Project’s most recent annual survey, 60% of utility respondents disclosed absolute greenhouse gas emission reduction targets, and 60% disclosed emissions forecasts.
 
Some of Portland General Electric’s electric industry peers who have set absolute reduction targets include American Electric Power, the nation’s largest electric generator, Entergy, Duke Energy, Exelon, National Grid and Consolidated Edison.  Those with intensity targets include CMS Energy, PSEG, NiSource and Pinnacle West.
 
Duke, Exelon, FPL, NRG, and others, through their participation in the U.S. Climate Action Partnership, have also publicly stated that the U.S. should reduce its GHG footprint by 60% to 80% from current levels by 2050. They have endorsed adoption of mandatory federal policy to limit CO2 emissions as a way to provide economic and regulatory certainty needed for major investments in our energy future.
 
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED: shareholders request that the Board of Directors adopt quantitative goals, based on current technologies, for reducing total greenhouse gas emissions from the Company’s products and operations; and that the Company report to shareholders by September 30, 2010, on its plans to achieve these goals. Such a report will omit proprietary information and be prepared at reasonable cost.