Portland General Electric sets goal of net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2040

Portland General Electric (PGE) announced this week that it intends to reach net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2040 and reduce greenhouse gas emissions associated with customers’ power by 80 percent by 2030.

“Our future depends on taking immediate action to address climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions,” said Maria Pope, president and CEO of Portland General Electric. “Today, we placed a new milestone: aiming to achieve companywide net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2040. To meet this goal, we will touch every part of our business: from the power we supply to our customers, to the vehicles we drive, to how we operate our buildings. Along the way, we will continue to keep electricity reliable and affordable.”

PGE intends to end coal plant operations and swap them for more renewable generating facilities — wind, solar, and battery storage, to reach these goals. Coupled with this, the company has set an aspirational goal of zero greenhouse gas emissions associated with electricity served to customers by 2040 and pushing policy, regulatory, and technology advancements to make that possible.

Other commitments include reducing emissions in operations through measures like electrifying more than 60 percent of the PGE fleet by 2030. PGE also intends to create new programs to build on existing energy programs and give customers more green options with which to work.