Right on time, Gov. Kitzhaber releases his first draft

When we last checked in on how Gov. Kitzhaber"s energy plan was coming along, he"d just received a report from an advisory panel on the subject.

That panel was supposed to help him put together a 10-year plan with five goals: Reduce dependence on carbon fuels and foreign oil, develop renewable energy resources, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve energy efficiency and boost the economy.

The idea was that the governor would be able to release a comprehensive plan this summer that outlined legislative and executive steps to meet the his various energy and climate goals.

He made that deadline. On June 5, 2012, Kitzhaber released his "Ten-Year Energy Action Plan.”

The document is still in its first draft, but it represents, nevertheless, the goal the governor had promised voters. On the day it was released, The Oregonian reported that the plan "outlines a host of regulatory and legislative measures to boost conservation and renewable energy and transform Oregon's transportation sector to use less fuel and emit less greenhouse gases.”

For now, the plan is just that -- a plan. Legislators have not signed off on the recommendations included in it and some of it could change as it goes through a 60-day public review and comment process. There"s also the matter of funding.

All that said, back in 2010, Kitzhaber promised voters that he would develop a plan for energy and climate change -- and he has.

Will legislators accept it? Will it be successful? That"s all yet to be determined. But for the purposes of the Kitz-O-Meter, this is a Promise Kept.