Enacting Meaningful Clean Energy Policies at State Levels

Enacting Meaningful Clean Energy Policies at State Levels



2007 September -   The National Governors 
Association, NGA, is enlisting the efforts of all governors to enact 
meaningful clean energy policies at the state level. 
NGA Chair Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty, a Republican, and Kansas 
Governor Kathleen Sebelius, a Democrat, today officially launched the 
Securing a Clean Energy Future initiative at a press conference in 
Washington. 
By tradition, each incoming NGA chair selects an initiative to accomplish 
during his one-year term of office. When Governor Pawlenty took over as 
NGA chair in July, he announced that his chair's initiative would be 
Securing a Clean Energy Future. 
"Our nation has enjoyed more than a hundred years of inexpensive energy, 
seemingly inexhaustible oil and a relatively forgiving environment," said 
Pawlenty. "But America can no longer rely on business-as-usual to meet its 
energy needs, and the nation's governors are prepared to lead the way in 
crafting a sensible, sustainable clean energy future." 
He says the initiative has the potential to "significantly alter the 
landscape of clean energy policy in the United States by serving as the 
first bipartisan, governor-led effort of this magnitude to address these 
critical issues." 
The initiative will be guided by a task force of governors from across the 
country, who share a common desire to advance clean energy ideas. In 
addition to Pawlenty and Sebelius, the task force is made up of three 
Democrats - Governors Ed Rendell of Pennsylvania, Brian Schweitzer of 
Montana, and Chris Gregoire of Washington; and three Republicans - Jodi 
Rell of Connecticut, Linda Lingle of Hawaii, and Charlie Crist of Florida. 

Securing a Clean Energy Future will promote policies at the state level 
that:

  Use existing energy resources more wisely through efficiency and 
  conservation 
  
  Promote non-petroleum based fuels, such as ethanol and biodiesel 
  
  Take "reasonable steps" to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 
  
  Accelerate the research and development of advanced, clean energy 
  technologies
  
"Many governors are already working in their respective states to improve 
energy conservation and efficiency and increase the use of renewable 
energy. This initiative broadens that commitment already underway at the 
state level and will further meaningful clean energy policies across the 
country," said Governor Sebelius. 
As part of this initiative, NGA will develop and distribute guides and 
reports, and will convene regional workshops and national summits to help 
governors understand the specific energy challenges in their states and 
implement policy solutions that address these challenges. 
The initiative also will emphasize the role of public-private partnerships 
to generate increased use of clean energy and advanced energy 
technologies. 
In addition to seeking public-private partnerships, U.S. Energy Secretary 
Samuel Bodman joined Pawlenty and Sebelius today to announce that the 
Department of Energy will provide $610,000 to support the new NGA 
initiative. 
"The Bush administration shares the NGA's sense of urgency about 
increasing our nation's energy security, and we are eager to jointly 
advance bold energy policies at the state level," Secretary Bodman said. 
"States provide the necessary and critical link to ensuring clean, 
reliable and affordable supplies of energy and the Energy Department 
challenges local governments to take similar action," he said. 
The governors launched a new Securing a Clean Energy Future website to 
serve as a clearinghouse of all initiative news, activities and published 
materials; show videos and photos of initiative events; publicize upcoming 
events; and document clean energy news from across the states. 
www.nga.org/ci 
"The challenges are not new, and the solutions are within our reach," 
Governor Pawlenty said. "It's time for a new direction, with new 
leadership and devotion, to solve these challenges. Together I believe we 
can find and follow a pathway to a better, cleaner, more secure energy 
future." 

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