State Supreme Court rules against City Light (can't buy carbon offsets)

[Barrett808]

State Supreme Court rules against City Light
Utility can't use ratepayers money for global warming good deeds

By LISA STIFFLER
P-I REPORTER

The state Supreme Court today ruled that Seattle City Light could not undo its greenhouse gas pollution by paying others to perform global warming good deeds.

In a 5-4 decision that reversed a King County Superior Court ruling, the justices ruled that the city utility lacked the authority to use ratepayers' money to compensate for its planet warming pollution.

Using ratepayer money in this manner is not "sufficiently related to the purpose of supplying electricity," wrote Chief Justice Gerry Alexander.

In November 2005, City Light had boasted that it was the first publicly owned major utility in the nation to no longer contribute to global warming, that it was "carbon neutral."

For every pound of greenhouse gas released by the utility, its fleet of vehicles or the power plants it buys from, carbon dioxide emissions were reduced elsewhere by paying for an "offset" of an equal amount.

(more)

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/300243_citylight18ww.html

[ThomCat]

1. Good. Buying carbon credits is a scam.

We need to reduce the carbon load in reality, not just on paper. x(

[OregonBlue]

2. Exactly, it's just borrowing from Peter to Pay Paul.