Environmentalists look to Dorgan for passage of renewable energy standard
Friday, July 23, 2010 at 1:15 pm
- 5 Comments
Environmentalists and renewable energy advocates are looking to Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.) to revive their hopes of passing a renewable energy standard this year.
With the apparent death of a cap on emissions from the utility sector, environmentalists and renewable energy advocates are stepping up their efforts to pass a strong RES of 25 percent by 2025. An RES would require that a certain percentage of the country’s electricity be produced from renewable sources like wind and solar.
But a scaled-down bill Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) is slated to bring to the floor before the August recess is not expected to include an RES.
As I reported last week, Dorgan has said he wants to strengthen the RES and was planning to offer an amendment to the climate bill on the issue. But, with the news that the bill will be slimmed down to include only an oil spill response title and popular energy measures, it remains unclear if Dorgan will offer an RES amendment.
With Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) broaching the possibility that a climate bill could move after the August recess, any effort to include pass an RES may have to wait until the fall.
But one source who has been advocating for an RES says Dorgan is leading an effort to attach such a provision to Reid’s upcoming bill as an amendment. Rick Gion, a spokesperson for Dorgan, would not offer any new details on such an effort, saying, “Nothing new on this end yet.”
5 Comments
Comment posted July 23, 2010 @ 9:36 pm
Hopeless. Don’t these people know that Dorgan is from a state which is controlled by mining interests, especially coal mining interests?
Comment posted July 24, 2010 @ 9:09 am
That thought occurred to me as well given North Dakota Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem’s belligerent posturings (including threats of lawsuits) over Minnesota’s carbon cost requirement for utilities. After all, Minnesota imports a lot of coal-based electricity from North Dakota … and is downwind from those coal-fired power plants, too.
Comment posted July 24, 2010 @ 3:43 pm
If we came up with a cure for cancer do you think the industries that profit from this disease would want that cure???? ie.. Pharmaceuticals, Radiology and the Insurance Cartel.. The answer is NO WAY!! For 100 years we have built an industry around fossil fuel and we have NEVER stopped it’s use.. We invented the electric car YEARS ago.. What happened to it?? The Oil Lobbyist CRUSHED it.. America invented Solar Power over 50 years ago..Where is that industry?? Oh yeah Germany!! The only meaningful stab at reducing carbon emissions came under President Carter.. After that Reagan found the importance of injecting Utility Bosses into our political system.. I hope that Dorgan get what he’s after .. Unfortunately the ABSOLUTE PUSSIES that the Dems put in charge are STILL trying to “Reach Across the Aisle” to these Republican Beasts..
Comment posted July 24, 2010 @ 8:14 pm
Yes, Senator Dorgan, let’s make everyone’s – including Dennis’ – day by successfully passing a strong RES law to go into effect nationwide soon.
Minnesota is already ahead of the curve with the “Next Generation Energy Act of 2007″ signed into law by GOVERNOR PAWLENTY (who recognizes climate change!) on May 25, 2007, which calls for among other goals, statewide GHG (greenhouse gases) emissions reduction goals of 15 percent by 2015, 30 percent by 2025, and 80 percent by 2050. Rep. Bill Hilty, Sen. Ellen Anderson, and Rep. Kathy Tingelstad stuck their necks out to get this legislation passed; I know Sen. Anderson has done more work since then.
http://itsgettinghotinhere.org/2007/05/31/minnesota-governor-signs-energy-and-climate-bill/
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