Group of 29 governors seeks renewable-power standard
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and 28 other governors are calling for a national standard for renewable power that they believe could help spur job growth and economic development and make the U.S. less dependent on foreign fuel.
The lack of consistent national regulations and a complicated jumble of state standards are pushing investments abroad, according to a report that was handed Tuesday to Congress and President Obama.
The report, compiled by the bipartisan Governors’ Wind Energy Coalition, also recommended that utilities be required to obtain at least 10% of their electricity from alternative sources such as wind and solar by 2012.
They called for an expanded interstate transmission system with major high-voltage lines that would have a wider reach than a fragmented network of smaller lines. A U.S. policy could untangle the web of more localized standards, they said.
The governors also requested more federal funding for research into offshore wind technology, such as in coastal areas or the Great Lakes, to compete with efforts in Europe and China. They also said the permitting process for wind projects needed to be streamlined and stimulus grant programs and production tax credits extended.
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