Clean Energy Makes Everybody a Winner!
Posted on November 15, 2006 by oregoncub
Tags, Climate and Conservation, Legislative & Political
After all the ballots were counted up in Washington State (and it took until this week to do it), voters passed Initiative 937, the Clean Energy Initiative. Because of Washington State’s electoral practice of counting absentee ballots postmarked on Election Day, there was a delay in claiming victory until it was clear the pro-clean energy forces had carried the day.
In the words of the Yes on 937 campaign: “Passing I-937 in Washington State continues the momentum of clean energy across the nation. Global warming and energy independence are critical issues that need practical solutions like I-937. Using energy more efficiently and developing clean, homegrown resources like wind and solar will position us well economically and environmentally for the future.”
That is why CUB was watching this campaign so closely. Its victory does indeed continue a strong momentum on clean energy issues, and we’re going to carry that momentum into the Oregon legislature come January. The Washington initiative demonstrates grassroots support in the Northwest for ambitious but achievable clean energy policies. Here in Oregon, we have a Governor who is strongly in favor of promoting clean energy proposals and many legislators, both Democrat and Republican, who campaigned in favor of clean energy and energy independence.
We plan to make sure that the campaign poetry gets translated into governing prose. Earlier this year, CUB began working on the Oregon Clean Energy Agenda to enact progressive energy policies. Some items on the Clean Energy Agenda:
* We support the Governor’s proposal for a Renewable Energy Standard calling for 25 percent of Oregon’s energy needs to be met by renewable resources by 2025.
* We want to extend public purpose funding dedicated to energy efficiency and renewable resource development past the current sunset of 2012.
* We plan to accelerate clean energy development by exploring an increase in the funding that we currently invest in energy efficiency and renewable energy resources.
* We think that by revising clean energy tax credits we can encourage broader use of clean energy technology by consumers and businesses.
* We hope to increase energy efficiency standards for certain appliances to reflect other energy-savings standards being adopted around the country.
You can help promote the Oregon Clean Energy Agenda. Please take a few minutes and contact Governor Ted Kulongoski, as well as your state representative and state senator, and ask them to make clean energy issues a priority in the 2007 session. Governor Kulongoski can be reached by calling 503-378-4582 or via e-mail on the web. If you are not sure who your state representative or state senator is, contact CUB Organizing Director Jeff Bissonnette at jeff[at]oregoncub[dot]org and he’ll point you in the right direction.
Clean energy is going to be a major issue in the 2007 session. Help CUB bring a victory home to Oregon in the coming year, by letting our elected leaders know you care about clean energy.
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03/10/17 | 0 Comments | Clean Energy Makes Everybody a Winner!