by Katy Grimes, E&E Legal Senior Media Fellow and California Globe Editor
As Appearing in the California Globe

‘This is not about electric power, it’s about economic power’

California Governor Gavin Newsom, Oregon Governor Kate Brown, Washington Governor Jay Inslee, and British Columbia Premier John Horgan “doubled down” on Thursday and signed a new Statement of Cooperation, another climate agreement – the Pacific Coast Collaborative – “recommitting” the Western region “to climate action.”

“In California, we punch above our weight when it comes to climate action – but our actions can only do so much without the rest of the world at our side,” Gov. Newsom said. “The Pacific Coast is raising the bar for tackling the climate crisis while also ensuring every community is included in our efforts. The West will continue to lead the way toward a carbon-free future that supports our economy, our people and our planet.”

I’m not sure how much we are punching above our weight in California given that former Gov. Jerry Brown already had a climate compact with California, Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia, formed in 2013 to promote “the type of new thinking necessary to solve the West Coast’s infrastructure crisis,” I reported several years ago.

 “In October 2013, California Gov. Jerry Brown, together with the Governors of Oregon and Washington and the British Columbia Premier, signed the Pacific Coast Action Plan on Climate and Energy, ‘to align climate change policies and promote clean energy,’” I reported. “The Pacific Coast Collaborative links with the West Coast Infrastructure Exchange(WCX), a compact between California, Oregon, Washington and British Columbia. The WCX is linked to the Clinton Foundation’s Clinton Global Initiative.”

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