Plan’s Emphasis on Conservation and Renewables Are Good for Salmon Communities and Jobs

PORTLAND, Ore. — Oregon Governor John Kitzhaber today released his draft 10-Year Energy Action Plan, which charts the state’s energy course for the next decade. The draft plan follows the lead of the Northwest Power and Conservation Council’s 6th Power Plan from February 2010 and then goes beyond it, calling for Oregon to meet all new electric load growth through energy efficiency and conservation.

Pat Ford, Executive Director of the Save Our Wild Salmon Coalition, said:

“Governor Kitzhaber's draft energy plan, if implemented in Oregon and the Northwest, will help restore salmon, create new rural and urban jobs in fisheries and recreation, as well as in wind power, solar power, and energy efficiency, and keep Oregon a leader in assuring full multiple-use management of the Columbia and Snake Rivers for fish, energy, farms, and jobs.  It's a blueprint not just for Oregon but for federal energy policy in the Northwest.

The Governor’s plan, in conjunction with the Northwest Power and Conservation Council’s 6th Power Plan, shows that we can both protect and restore our wild salmon and chart a clean and affordable energy future. Our region is blessed with ample, affordable energy conservation and renewable energy resources to serve power needs and fulfill our climate responsibilities, while reviving our salmon economy and creating thousands of family-wage local jobs along the way.”

Contact: Pat Ford, Save Our Wild Salmon, pford@wildidaho.org, 208-345 9067 Rhett Lawrence, Save Our Wild Salmon, rhett@wildsalmon.org, 503-230-0421, x18