Posted on 02/24/2007 9:37:17 PM PST by FairOpinion
Minnesota put its faith in a future fueled by renewable energy yesterday as the governor signed a new law requiring utilities to generate a quarter of their power from renewable sources such as wind, water and solar energy by 2025.
Considering where Minnesota stands now — about half the power produced in the state is from coal, and only 8 percent from renewable sources — the move is the most aggressive in the country, analysts say.
"We have to break our addiction to fossil fuels," Gov. Tim Pawlenty, a Republican, said in signing the legislation.
The new law, which sailed through the Legislature, encourages the use of wind farms, hydroelectric power and solar energy, as well as cleaner-burning fuels.
Minnesota's numerical goal trails targets already in place for Maine and New York, but those states had been getting a significant amount of electricity from large-scale hydropower facilities before their standards were adopted, according to data from the Interstate Renewable Energy Council and the Union of Concerned Scientists.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com ...
And people were bashing Arnold Schwarzenegger in CA for much less restrictive goals, not even requirements.
Related article:
Minnesota adopts green power goal, joins 22 states
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N22172034.htm
Minnesota on Thursday adopted the most aggressive requirement for renewable power generation in the United States, becoming the 23rd of the 50 U.S. states to set targets for green power.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty signed a bill to require that 25 percent of the state's electricity come from renewable sources such as solar, wind and biomass power by 2025.
The trend toward setting goals for renewable power in the United States is gaining momentum, even in the Southeast, where as yet no states have set goals, said Sue Gouchoe, policy program manager for the North Carolina Solar Center at North Carolina State University.
If Congress passes a bill currently being drafted that would call for 15 percent of power to come from renewable sources by 2020, the entire country would have a standard. Sen. Jeff Bingaman, Democrat from New Mexico, is drafting such a bill.
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22 states already have similar requirements! Amazing. And the US Congress wants to pass requirements at the Federal level.
We unilaterally want to destroy our economy.
What about nuclear power???
Those words, regardless of party affiliation when dealing with economics ought to scare the life out of anyone who intends to 'invest' in the nation, or in this case, the state when it comes to energy.
They're kowtowing to Algore.
"What about nuclear power???"
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No good, using nuclear power would actually work and wouldn't destroy our economy. (/sarc) Note the new law:
"The new law, which sailed through the Legislature, encourages the use of wind farms, hydroelectric power and solar energy, as well as cleaner-burning fuels."
The objective IS to destroy our economy by removing the fuel it's built on. We will have to conserve until we give up everything and go back to gathering (not "hunting and gathering" because hunting will be outlawed too)
They may soon also pass legislation stating stupid people can't breed.
Or one stating only stupid people are allowed to breed.
Whatever!
If "Atlas Shrugged" was required reading in every high school, many of the ludicrous attempts of elected government socialist officials by unconstitutional decrees would be stopped before they became public knowledge.
What about nuclear power???
You're spot on. It's clean,compact and the most affordable of the non-fossil fuel technologies but because the liberal morons watch too much TV and becuse a failing ex-communist basket case had an accident they want to ban it. Instead they want inefficient and expensive ugly forests of solar panels and wind turbines. Then they want to ban them again because an owl might fly into one. The smart nations will switch to nuclear.
While I have always believed that a thourough reading and UNDERSTANDING of "Atlas Shrugged" should be a requirement for High School graduation (and perhaps voting in a national election), there is one flaw in the idea:
If Atlas Shrugged was required reading in today's schools, most of the teachers would make certain that Cuffy Meigs, Bertram Scudder, Wesley Mouch, Mr. Thompson and the Starnses etc. are seen as the heroes.
If students actually understand the book (and its equivalent in real life), and gave the right answers on the test / book report, they would certainly be given failing grades.
If things get that bad and people can identify who's to blame,you better believe there's gonna be some hunting still going on.
So stupid. We are not addicted to them. We choose them. WE choose them for many reasons, first among them is cost.
This is like saying that people have an "addiction" to cotton undershirts.
Even Congress would have a clean shot at running in the black from the revenues generated.
Like it or not, the entire world needs to get off of fossil fuels.
Why?
The world wide demand for energy is skyrocketing and the demand for energy is fueling terrorism. Hello???
The issue is economics, not just mindless platitudes. If the picture for fossil fuels is so bad, why are they still the cheapest way to get energy? What is the point of saying "Fossil fuel prices might go up, therefore we must switch to energy sources that cost a lot more than fossil fuels?"
The point being, mindless generalizations read in Newsweek aren't always true.
The third world population is skyrocketing out of control evidentally. Renewable energy makes sense. Fossil fuels do not make sense.
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