Study: Northwest poised to lead clean-energy transition

A study released Wednesday indicates that the Northwest is uniquely positioned to make a relatively painless transition to clean-energy sources, retiring all coal and nuclear power generation in the region by 2040.

The study, developed by Synapse Energy Economics for the Civil Society Institute think tank, outlines a transition scenario that would involve the addition of 12,000 megawatts of wind energy capacity, modest increases in hydropower and relatively small contributions from geothermal- and biomass-related energy sources.

The lack of federal action on climate legislation that would include price signals to stimulate renewable energy development, leaves the door open for state and regional action, said Grant Smith, the Civil Society Institute's energy adviser, on a conference call with reporters.

"The Northwest is uniquely positioned for action," he said.

The study, which narrows down a national report released in May under the name Beyond Business as Usual, includes Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Utah and Nevada. The region is well suited to make the switch to clean-energy sources because it has a relatively small part of its energy generation portfolio coming from coal and nuclear power.

Geoff Keith, researcher for Synapse Energy Economics, said regional policy initiatives such as the Western Climate Initiative will be key to motivating markets to make the transition to clean energy.

"The regional efforts are our only hope at this stage," Keith said. "The states need to lead."

The Western Climate Initiative, a group of seven western states and four Canadian provinces, released a proposed blueprint for a regional carbon cap-and-trade program that would begin operating in 2012.

But, as reported Tuesday in the New York Times and by Oregon Public Broadcasting, the hurdles to the program — not the least of which is Proposition 23, a challenge to California's climate law — have yet to be cleared.