[discuss-dan] alternative energy

[Mark Cohen <buildingbridges@mindspring.com>]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
FEBRUARY 14, 2001
3:01 PM
 CONTACT:  Union of Concerned Scientists
Alan Nogee, 617 547-5552
Steve Clemmer, 617 547-5552 
 
 
 
Report Finds Midwest Could Be Saudi Arabia of Renewable Energy
Economic Windfall for Farmers, Cleaner Air for Consumers 
   
WASHINGTON - February 14 - The Union of Concerned Scientists today joined in
the release of Repowering the Midwest, a blueprint for clean electricity
production in America's heartland. The report builds on UCS's 1993 landmark
report Powering the Midwest, which examined the potential for renewable
energy -- wind, solar, and biomass resources -- to meet energy needs and
provide new economic development opportunities for the Midwest. 
The new report, coordinated and published by the Environmental Law & Policy
Center, shows policymakers, industry and citizens how to combine renewable
energy sources with energy efficiency improvements to the existing
electricity system and with new low-emission natural gas power plants into a
comprehensive clean energy development plan. Renewable energy would provide
at least eight percent of the region's electricity generation by 2010 and 22
percent by 2020. Sulfur dioxide pollution, which causes acid rain, would be
cut by 56 percent; nitrogen oxide pollution, which causes smog, by 71
percent; and carbon dioxide pollution, which causes global warming, by 51
percent. 

"The report shows how clean energy production can make economic and
environmental sense," said Alan Nogee, Director of UCS's Clean Energy
Program and a member of the report's steering committee. "California took a
detour from this path in the 1990s, and is now paying a heavy price in power
shortages and higher prices. This report can help the region and the nation
avoid making California's mistakes. We can have reliable and affordable
energy supplies while cleaning up the environment." 

Nogee notes that during the California deregulation debate, the state's
utilities slashed energy conservation and renewable energy programs similar
to those recommended in Repowering the Midwest. "California utilities cut
their energy efficiency programs in half, and persuaded federal regulators
to kill a state program to develop renewable energy sources," said Nogee.
"Gutting these California programs eliminated the equivalent of 3,200
megawatts of planned power plant capacity-enough to serve 3.2 million
homes-and contributed to today's power shortages and higher electricity
prices." 

"We need a national energy policy that puts energy efficiency and clean
renewable energy development first," said Nogee. Repowering the Midwest
recommends federal and regional policies to enact:



minimum standards for energy suppliers to meet a growing fraction of their
energy from renewable energy sources;


public benefit funds to invest in energy efficiency improvements and the
development of new, clean, and renewable energy technologies;


more stringent energy efficiency standards and building codes; · incentives
for electricity customers to install clean, distributed electricity
generators; and


fair pollution rules that would eliminate grandfathering of old, dirty coal
plants. 
 


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