National Renewable Energy Bill Will Increase Use of Clean, Homegrown Electricity Sources
Environment Ohio Commends Representatives Udall, Platts, Udall and Pallone for Introducing Bill 969
Contact: Kate Johnson,
202-546-9707 or 215-356-8502
Amy Gomberg, office
614-460-8732 or cell 312-339-8819
Washington, DC—Representatives Udall (D-NM), Platts (R-PA),
Udall (D-CO), and Pallone (D-NJ) Wednesday
introduced the House Resolution 969, a
bill that will require the U.S. to generate 20 percent of its electricity from
renewable sources by 2020.
“We commend Representatives Udall, Platts, Udall and Pallone
for introducing this critical bill. By developing our homegrown energy
resources we can break our dependence on fossil fuels while creating jobs and
saving consumers money,” said Amy Gomberg, Environment Ohio’s Environmental
Advocate.
America
is currently overly dependent on fossil fuels, relying on coal, oil and natural
gas to meet around 70 percent of our electricity needs. As a result power
plants are the nation’s largest industrial source of air pollution and are a
leading contributor to global warming
The U.S.
has virtually unlimited potential to generate electricity from renewable
resources like wind, solar, geothermal, and biomass energy. The Udall-Udall-Platts-Pallone legislation
would require utilities to gradually increase the amount of renewable energy
they use, reaching 20 percent of the electricity they sell by 2020. Similar
policies are now in place in more than 20 states.
A 2006 analysis by Environment Ohio found that obtaining 20
percent of electricity from renewable energy sources by 2020 could cut global
warming pollution by 511 million tons-- the equivalent of taking approximately
89 million cars off the road.
“This bill is a critical step toward a cleaner, more secure
energy future. By tapping the incredible potential of renewable energy, we’ll
establish a cleaner, more sustainable foundation on which to build America’s
economy for the 21st century,” said Gomberg.
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Environment Ohio is the new home to Ohio PIRG’s
environmental work. Visit us at: www.EnvironmentOhio.org
