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Support Renewable Energy Standards |
By John Steinbach
If you’re ready to do some grassroots lobbying for a sensible approach to energy and the environment, learn about Renewable Energy Standards (RES) and contact your state and national representatives.
Renewable Energy Standards, also known as Renewable Portfolio Standards (RPS), require that all utility companies in an area produce a set percentage of energy from renewable resources. Renewable Standards level the energy playing field and require all utilities to move toward cleaner energy production. They also encourage rapid development and deployment of new technology.
Many states and the District of Columbia now have RPS programs in place. A Colorado ballot initiative that was passed in 2003 requires the state’s largest utilities to obtain three percent of their electricity from renewable energy resources by 2007 and 10 percent by 2015. The Texas RPS requires 2,000 megawatts (MW) of new renewable capacity to be installed by 2009, with intermediate targets of 400 MW by 2003, 850 MW by 2005 and 1,400 MW by 2007. The measure requires electricity suppliers to source electricity from eligible sources, such as wind, biomass, geothermal and solar energy.
Renewable Energy Standards are clearly an urgent issue for a grassroots effort. An RPS standard was discussed in the 2007 Federal Energy Bill but was dropped before voting on legislation. We can look to states like Texas, Colorado and 23 others as examples and push for such legislation, or we can make the push for a national standard. The call (or e-mail, or letter) is yours. Let your representative know it’s time for more clean and renewable energy in the United Sates and Indiana.
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Last Updated ( Tuesday, 11 March 2008 15:03 )
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