Carbon and Clean Energy

The evolution of energy markets in the West is occurring in conjunction with efforts, particularly in the Pacific states, to address climate change through carbon pricing and the promotion of clean energy. WPTF's Carbon and Clean Energy Committee follows policy and regulatory developments related these efforts, and advocates on behalf of WPTF members with key regulatory agencies. WPTF advocacy seeks to minimize duplicative regulatory requirements, pursue cost-effective market-based approaches, harmonize rules across states and ensure consistency of carbon and clean energy policies with evolving energy markets.

In California, WPTF has been active since day one in the development and implementation of the Cap and Trade program, and our advocacy has been influential in the design of program requirements related to electricity imports, including rules for specified imports, resource shuffling and interactions with renewable energy credit markets. With the adoption of SB100, the committee will be working to ensure alignment of implementation rules at the CPUC and CEC with those under the Cap and Trade program.

In 2019, WPTF will be closely monitoring the development of carbon and clean energy policies elsewhere in the West. The Oregon Legislature is widely anticipated to adopt a “Cap and Invest” program that is intended to be linked to that of California. Given the interlinkage of the energy markets in both states and the participation of the three Oregon investor-owned utilities in the EIM, harmonization of key program rules across the two states will be critical. Farther north, the Washington Legislature is likely to push a 100% Clean Energy Standard. WPTF will seek to ensure that any such standard does not discriminate among clean energy resources and meshes with carbon pricing programs in the region as well as possible.

The Carbon and Clean Energy Committee coordinates with WPTF's other committees on cross-cutting issues. For instance, it works with the CAISO Committee to ensure that carbon market design results in workable CAISO energy markets and with WPTF legal counsel to advocate for consistent treatment of GHG emissions within the CPUC procurement proceedings.

Contact Person

Clare Breidenich has over 18 years' experience on greenhouse gas regulation and policy. In addition to her work with WPTF, Clare has worked on international climate issues with the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of State, and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change secretariat.  She has also served on the Washington State Governor's Climate Action Team and on a National Academy of Science's Committee on monitoring of greenhouse gas emissions.  Clare has a Masters in Environmental Science and Masters of Public Affairs, both from Indiana University; she completed her undergraduate studies at the University of Michigan.

Clare Breidenich
Aciem Consulting
Phone: 206-697-4946
cbreidenich@aciem.us