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Media General News Service
Media General News Service
Gov. Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota says states can play a greater role in the transition to clean energy than the federal government.
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TAMPA — The National Governors Association, through an initiative designed to bring states together on the importance of developing alternative transportation fuels and cleaner energy, wants to send a message to Congress that national standards for renewable energy should be set.
Gov. Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota, a Republican who is chairman of the National Governors Association, said states can play a greater role in the transition to clean energy than the federal government.
"We tend to be more nimble and less partisan than the federal government," he said.
Pawlenty joined Gov. Charlie Crist of Florida, a Republican, Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius, a Democrat, and Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer, a Democrat, in Tampa for a two-day discussion of the need for states to take the lead in developing alternative fuels, increasing the use of renewable energy and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The meeting, hosted by the National Governors Association, brought state officials from about 40 states to Tampa to begin drafting a series of energy pacts for states to sign.
In Minnesota, regulators have approved a plan that would require all gasoline sold in the state to contain 20 percent ethanol, Pawlenty said. The proposal is awaiting approval from the Environmental Protection Agency.
"The standards that are being discussed in Congress are already being met and exceeded by many states in the country," Sebelius said.
"Corn-based ethanol is not the solution for the whole country," Pawlenty said. "There isn’t going to be a one-size fits all. It will depend on the local geography, the local resources, the local political culture," he said. "So different things will be used and applied in different states."
Schweitzer said the technology exists to significantly increase the use of renewable energy across the United States. The only question is America’s commitment to clean energy, Schweitzer said.
"It’s a question of resolve, not resource," he said.
The U.S. Senate on Thursday eliminated a provision in a new energy bill that would have required electric utilities to generate 15 percent of electricity from renewable sources by 2020, a major victory for utilities dependent on coal-fired power.
In July, Crist signed executive orders requiring utilities to generate 20 percent of their electricity from renewable energy sources such as wind and solar, though no deadline has been set.
Crist also mandated that emissions of carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas linked to global warming, from power plants be lowered to 2000 levels by 2017, to 1990 levels by 2025, and to 80 percent of 1990 by 2050. "We’ve set some ambitious goals," Crist said.
Gov. Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota, a Republican who is chairman of the National Governors Association, said states can play a greater role in the transition to clean energy than the federal government.
"We tend to be more nimble and less partisan than the federal government," he said.
Pawlenty joined Gov. Charlie Crist of Florida, a Republican, Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius, a Democrat, and Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer, a Democrat, in Tampa for a two-day discussion of the need for states to take the lead in developing alternative fuels, increasing the use of renewable energy and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The meeting, hosted by the National Governors Association, brought state officials from about 40 states to Tampa to begin drafting a series of energy pacts for states to sign.
In Minnesota, regulators have approved a plan that would require all gasoline sold in the state to contain 20 percent ethanol, Pawlenty said. The proposal is awaiting approval from the Environmental Protection Agency.
"The standards that are being discussed in Congress are already being met and exceeded by many states in the country," Sebelius said.
"Corn-based ethanol is not the solution for the whole country," Pawlenty said. "There isn’t going to be a one-size fits all. It will depend on the local geography, the local resources, the local political culture," he said. "So different things will be used and applied in different states."
Schweitzer said the technology exists to significantly increase the use of renewable energy across the United States. The only question is America’s commitment to clean energy, Schweitzer said.
"It’s a question of resolve, not resource," he said.
The U.S. Senate on Thursday eliminated a provision in a new energy bill that would have required electric utilities to generate 15 percent of electricity from renewable sources by 2020, a major victory for utilities dependent on coal-fired power.
In July, Crist signed executive orders requiring utilities to generate 20 percent of their electricity from renewable energy sources such as wind and solar, though no deadline has been set.
Crist also mandated that emissions of carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas linked to global warming, from power plants be lowered to 2000 levels by 2017, to 1990 levels by 2025, and to 80 percent of 1990 by 2050. "We’ve set some ambitious goals," Crist said.