Oregon environmental regulators are concerned that the state’s largest natural gas utility is misinforming customers about a key climate change policy aimed to reduce greenhouse gases.
NW Natural, which provides natural gas to more than 2 million people in Oregon and southwest Washington, told its customers in a newsletter this month that the state is proposing a carbon crediting program that might not lead to direct greenhouse gas emission cuts.
This is untrue, according to the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality.
“The fundamental purpose of the Community Climate Investments is to support projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions in Oregon,” Lauren Wirtis, a spokesperson for DEQ, said in an email.
NW Natural did not immediately respond to a request for more information.
The carbon credits, called Community Climate Investments or CCIs, are part of the state’s landmark Climate Protection Program that was first passed in 2021 but is being reworked this year following a judicial ruling in a lawsuit. NW Natural …