Or. Admin. Code § 340-253-0470

Current through Register Vol. 63, No. 12, December 1, 2024

Section 340-253-0470 - Determining the Carbon Intensity of Electricity

(1) Statewide electricity mix. The carbon intensity for the statewide electricity mix will reflect the average carbon intensity of electricity served in Oregon and be calculated by using the carbon-intensity of electricity from the most recent year as submitted to DEQ under OAR chapter 340, division 215. In calculating the statewide mix DEQ will exclude the energy and emissions related to utilities that have received utility-specific carbon intensity values under section (3) of this rule for that year. No later than December 31 of each year, except that DEQ may revise the 2021 value no later than June 15,, 2021, DEQ will:

(a) Post the updated statewide electricity mix carbon intensity for the next year on the DEQ webpage;

(b) Post the updated utility-specific carbon intensities for the next year on the DEQ webpage; and

(c) Add the new fuel pathway codes to the Oregon Fuels Reporting System effective for Q1 reporting for the next year.

(2) Retirement of major fossil-fuel generators. For the 2021 and 2022 statewide mixes and any applicable utility-specific mixes, DEQ will replace the direct emissions associated with power from the Boardman coal-fired power plant with an emissions rate of 0.428 metric tons CO2e per megawatt-hour. For indirect emissions, DEQ will continue to use the most recent fuel mix data available.

(3) Utility-specific carbon intensity. An electric utility may apply to obtain a utility-specific carbon intensity under OAR 340-253-0400 that reflects the average carbon intensity of electricity served in that utility district.

(a) The carbon intensity will be calculated by using the carbon intensity of electricity over the most recently reported year.

(b) Once DEQ has calculated a utility-specific carbon intensity, DEQ will propose its draft carbon intensity to the utility.

(A) If the utility does not agree with DEQ's proposed carbon intensity, then it must provide DEQ with an explanation of why it believes the proposed carbon intensity is not accurate within seven days of receiving DEQ's proposal. DEQ will consider whether to change its proposed carbon intensity based on the information it receives from the utility. If DEQ determines not to change it proposed carbon intensity within 30 days, then the utility may choose to accept the proposed carbon intensity or use the statewide electricity mix carbon intensity.

(B) If the utility agrees with DEQ's proposed carbon intensity, then the draft carbon intensity is made final and approved.

(C) If the utility fails to submit a timely objection to the calculation, then the draft carbon intensity is made final and approved.

(c) A utility that wants to discontinue a utility-specific carbon intensity may submit a written request to DEQ by October 31 for the following year. A utility can reapply for a utility-specific carbon intensity at any time in the future.

(4) For on-site generation of electricity using renewable generation systems such as solar or wind, applicants must document that:

(a) The renewable generation system is on-site or directly connected to the electric vehicle chargers;

(b) The fuel pathway codes listed in Table 3 under OAR 340-253-8010 for solar-generated or wind-generated electricity can only be used for the portion of the electricity dispensed from the charger that is generated by that dedicated renewable energy system;

(c) Any grid electricity dispensed from the charger must be reported separately under the statewide electricity mix or utility-specific fuel pathway codes; and

(d) RECs are not generated from the renewable generation system or, if they are, then an equal number of RECs generated from that facility to the number of MWh reported in the Oregon Fuels Reporting System from that facility must be retired in the recognized REC tracking system.

(5) Offsite renewable electricity. In order to lower the carbon intensity of electricity claimed as a vehicle fuel in the Clean Fuels Program, credit generators and aggregators may retire renewable electricity certificates that meet the following qualifications:

(a) Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) retired in order to claim a carbon intensity other than the statewide mix or utility-specific mix must be certified by the Green-e Program under the Green-e Renewable Energy Standard for Canada and the United States version 3.5, or by a certification system approved by DEQ as being substantially equivalent. Unbundled RECs being used to claim low-carbon electricity through book and claim accounting must be certified at the wholesale level, while RECs used in a power purchase agreement or Utility Renewable Electricity Product may be certified at the retail level.;

(b) RECs must be generated by an electric generator that was placed into service after 2015, or in the case of biogas generators they must meet the new date requirements of the Green-e Standard;

(c) RECs must be generated from facilities located in the Western Electricity Coordinating Council; and

(d) RECs must be recorded and retired in a recognized REC tracking system. In addition to recognizing the Western Renewable Energy Generation Information System, DEQ may recognize additional REC tracking systems upon a request from a registered party. In reviewing those requests, DEQ will consider whether the tracking system is comparable to WREGIS and if it has systems in place to ensure accurate issuance and tracking of RECs.

(6) Carbon intensity of renewable electricity. The carbon intensity of solar, wind, geothermal, hydropower, and ocean power renewable electricity is deemed to be zero. For renewable electricity generated from biomass, biogas, biodiesel, and hydrogen, the generator must file a Tier 1 or Tier 2 fuel pathway application to determine the carbon intensity of its electricity. DEQ may adopt an efficiency adjustment factor for biogas to electricity pathways that include emissions reduction credits in order to maintain the program's incentive for energy efficiency.

(7) Utility Renewable Electricity Products and Power Purchase Agreements. Electric utilities and Electric Service Suppliers may apply via a Tier 2 fuel pathway application for DEQ to assign a carbon intensity to one or more of their renewable electricity products or a specific power purchase agreement, which may then be used to generate credits from charging electric vehicles attributable to the use of such products or agreements. All of the following requirements apply to such applications:

(a) Notwithstanding OAR 340-253-0450, Tier 2 applications made under this section must include:

(A) A letter describing the power purchase agreement or Utility Renewable Electricity Product, the existing or planned source, or sources, of electricity and environmental attributes, and the terms by which it is being offered to customers;

(B) Samples or examples of bills, invoices, contracts, or other documentation that an entity claiming renewable energy under this product could provide to DEQ to prove that their electric vehicle charging is covered by the product or agreement;

(C) In the case of a Utility Renewable Electricity Product, any filings with, and orders by, the Oregon Public Utility Commission or a local governing board that approves the product; and

(D) An estimate of the amount of electric vehicle charging attributable to customers for the product or agreement.

(b) DEQ will review pathway applications under this section to determine if they result in a substantially similar environmental outcome to the sources of renewable energy required under section (5) of this rule. In reviewing a utility product or agreement that contains multiple sources of power, DEQ may use the estimate under paragraph (a)(C) of this section to determine if sufficient renewable energy that is substantially similar to the requirements of section (5) is included in the product to cover transportation-related charging that may be claimed under the CFP. DEQ may revisit this determination annually using the annual fuel pathway report.

(c) Annual Fuel Pathway Report. The annual fuel pathway report for pathways covered by this section must include information to update the sources or sources of electricity or environmental attributes that were used in the prior year and are planned for use in the year in which the report is submitted. That documentation must include retirement records for any RECs used to lower the claimed carbon intensity of the electricity being used by customers of those products in the Clean Fuels Program for the prior year. If the product is certified by the Green-e Program, proof of completion of final verification of the product must be included, or a validation statement if the product is undergoing the program's Customer Procurement Review. That documentation must also update the estimate of the amount of electric vehicle charging attributable to customers using the products or agreements. Fuel pathway reports required by this section are due by June 30, notwithstanding OAR 340-253-0450 (9)(e)(C).

Or. Admin. Code § 340-253-0470

DEQ 27-2017, adopt filed 11/17/2017, effective 11/17/2017; DEQ 199-2018, amend filed 11/16/2018, effective 1/1/2019; DEQ 14-2020, amend filed 05/07/2020, effective 5/7/2020; DEQ 7-2021, amend filed 03/26/2021, effective 3/26/2021; DEQ 17-2022, amend filed 09/23/2022, effective 1/1/2023

Statutory/Other Authority: ORS 468.020, 468A.266, 468A.268 & 468A.277

Statutes/Other Implemented: ORS 468.020 & ORS 468A.265 through 468A.277