In anticipation of the first ever House vote on renewable energy on Friday, Representatives Tom Udall (D-NM), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Mark Udall (D-CO) and other champions of renewable energy joined a diverse coalition today in the U.S. Capitol to call on members of Congress to support an amendment calling for a national renewable electricity standard (RES), sometimes referred to as a renewable portfolio standard. Udall Predicts victory on Friday vote. 

“The vote on a renewable energy standard, which requires that a larger share of the nation’s electricity be generated from renewable sources, is a landmark referendum on the direction of the nation’s energy policy,” explained Gregory Wetstone, senior director for governmental and public affairs for the American Wind Energy Association. “It’s not every day that Congress has an opportunity to reduce energy costs, promote our security, spur job creation, and reduce pollution.”

“The opportunity for innovation in the renewable energy industry is extremely high, making it one of the most attractive and fastest-growing sectors for venture capital investment,” said Mark Heesen, president of the National Venture Capital Association. “A signal of long term Congressional support for the renewable energy space is tremendously encouraging for venture capitalists because it is good for America.”

An RES is a market-based mechanism that calls for a set percentage of the nation’s electricity to be produced from renewable sources, such as wind and solar. More than 20 states have enacted successful renewable electricity standards, but a national RES is needed to fully reap the benefits of renewable energy. The amendment on the House floor, to be offered by Reps. Tom Udall (D. NM) and Todd Platts (R. PA), will call on electric utilities to obtain 20 percent of the electricity they sell from clean, renewable energy sources by 2020 or to purchase renewable energy credits from others to help meet the 20 percent requirement.

“The Udall-Platts Renewable Electricity Standard bill will ensure that more of our electricity is generated cleanly — which will help curb global warming while creating jobs and saving consumers money on their energy bills,” said Gene Karpinski, president of the League of Conservation Voters. “We urge Members of the House to vote for this key measure to put America on track to a clean energy future.”

Joining Representatives Tom Udall (D-NM), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), and Mark Udall (D-CO) were Tom Bruis, president of the National Farmers’ Union; Roxanne Brown, legislative representative for the United Steelworkers Union; Mark Heesen, president of the National Venture Capital Association; Gene Karpinski, president of the League of Conservation Voters; Anna Aurilio, federal legislative director for U.S. PIRG; and Gregory Wetstone, senior director for governmental and public affairs for the American Wind Energy Association.

Opponents of the RES have recently launched a campaign asserting that the Udall-Platts amendment would lead to higher costs for consumers, in particular in the Southeast. In fact, the cost allegations “don’t stand up to scrutiny,” said AWEA’s Wetstone in response to questions at today’s conference. Independent researchers have concluded that a national RES will lower demand and prices for natural gas and other fuels used for electricity generation, and will lower wholesale electricity prices — resulting in net savings for the economy. The Southeast, which imports most of the fuel it uses for power generation (natural gas, coal, and uranium) would benefit from these lower prices along with the rest of the nation. Wood Mackenzie, a non-partisan energy research firm, estimates that a 15% RES would lead to a net savings of $100 billion for U.S. consumers over the next 20 years, and that wholesale power prices would decrease by 7% to 11%, compared to a business-as-usual scenario.

Studies show that an RES would:

**Slow global warming: By displacing the use of fossil fuels to generate electricity, an RES can cut emissions of conventional pollutants and greenhouse gases. A 20 percent RES would reduce carbon dioxide CO2 emissions by 15 percent below business-as-usual levels, equivalent to taking nearly 71 million cars off the road;

**Reduce energy bills: Energy research firm Wood Mackenzie found that an RES would lower natural gas and electricity prices and save more than $100 billion for American consumers;

**Create jobs: Wind and solar energy are likely to be among the largest sources of new manufacturing jobs worldwide during the 21st Century. A recent Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) study found that a 20 percent RES by 2020 would create over 350,000 new American jobs;

**Revitalize rural America: Farmers and rural land owners in windy areas are reaping payments of $3,000-$8,000 per turbine per year, while still being able to work their land. The “wind harvest” can carry hard-pressed farmers through difficult times, such as droughts, even if crops fail; and

**Strengthen energy security:  Domestic renewable energy can reduce projected imports of liquid natural gas (LNG) from such unstable regions as Qatar, Russia and Iran and reduce U.S. energy payments to these nations.

Source for this post: American Wind Energy Association

Website: http://www.awea.org/

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