“Today the Bush administration’s Department of Energy has released a report showing it is technically feasible to meet 20 percent of America’s electricity needs with wind power by 2030. According to the American Wind Energy Association, achieving 20 percent wind by 2030 would reduce global warming pollution by 825 million metric tons of CO2 in 2030 alone, the equivalent of taking 140 million cars off the road. With skyrocketing energy prices and the looming threat of global warming, we are pleased that the Bush administration realizes the potential of this clean energy source to meet a significant portion of our energy needs. However, today’s announcement is meaningless if the Bush administration refuses to support key policies needed to make this goal a reality.
For example, if President Bush is serious about promoting wind energy, he has to stop being the biggest roadblock to key renewable energy policies like the renewable energy production tax credit extension and the renewable electricity standard. The renewable energy production tax credit extension expires at the end of 2008. Failure to extend these incentives threatens billions of dollars in wind energy investment and put thousands of jobs at risk. Several times over the past six months, the Bush administration has threatened to veto legislation to extend the tax credits, emboldening Senate Republicans to block the extensions with the narrowest of vote margins.
Twenty-six states have passed renewable electricity standards requiring an increasing amount of electricity be generated from clean, renewable sources. These states include Texas, whose first standard was signed by then-Gov. George Bush. However, last fall during consideration of the Energy Bill of 2007, the Bush administration threatened repeatedly to veto the House-passed bill because of its renewable electricity standard.
Finally, the Bush administration’s timeline for 20 percent wind is selling us short. With Denmark already meets more than 16 percent of its electricity needs with wind and other countries not far behind, we should achieve this goal by 2020, not 2030.
Helping to solve this country’s energy problems and building the clean energy economy can’t wait until the next president. Congress and the Bush administration must take the opportunity to reduce our dependence on foreign oil, decrease our reliance on dirty fossil fuels and transform our economy right now. Environment America has launched a $5.8 million 27 state campaign to focus attention on emerging opportunities to support clean energy that will help solve America’s energy problems while giving a boost to the economy and taking a bite out of our global warming problem. Our Clean Energy and Green Economy campaign will build on public support for a clean energy economy, and steps already taken in numerous states and raise the bar on timely and much needed congressional action.
Over the next three months, the campaign will speak directly with more than 1 million citizens in 90 congressional districts about putting clean energy technologies to work to make the nation cleaner and more energy independent, release a series of reports documenting opportunities for clean energy solutions, and build a broad based coalition for investment in the clean energy green economy.
