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EEI Adopts Global Climate Change Principles

By Eric McErlain
As we reported yesterday, the members of the Edison Electric Institute voted on a set of policy principles designed to "guide their engagement" in the debate over climate change. They were approved.

The press release follows:
In unveiling the new principles, Kuhn stressed three components he said would be critical to any federal action or legislation to reduce greenhouse gas emissions:
  • Ensuring the development and cost-effective deployment of a full suite of "climate-friendly" technologies;
  • Minimizing economic disruption to customers and avoiding harm to the competitiveness of U.S. industry; and,
  • Ensuring an economy-wide approach to carbon reductions.
Kuhn said EEI's member companies have long been leaders in taking voluntary actions to address climate concerns. "Since 1994, when EEI joined the U.S. Department of Energy in the Climate Challenge, the electric utility sector has accounted for more than two-thirds of all the greenhouse gas reductions achieved under the program," Kuhn said. "Looking forward, the principles we're releasing today are designed to help us build on that progress in a way that allows us to maintain an affordable and reliable supply of electricity."

Underscoring the critical importance of technology, Kuhn declared, "No matter what path America chooses to address greenhouse gases, success will require an aggressive and sustained commitment by the industry and policymakers to the development and deployment of a full suite of technology options." Some of these options are currently available-although at a higher cost than conventional generation sources-but others are not, Kuhn said.

Needed technology options include energy efficiency; demand-side management and renewable energy sources; increasing nuclear capacity; advanced clean coal technologies and carbon capture and storage; and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles.
For the complete document, click here. More coverage later as it becomes available.
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