Support a Renewable Electricity Standard

Sep 24, 2010

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Support a Renewable Electricity Standard

In the face of failed Senate action on major climate legislation this summer, support for a Renewable Electricity Standard (RES) has been gaining momentum over the last week. A national RES would require electric utilities to produce a certain percentage of their output from renewable sources. From FCNL’s perspective, this would be an important step in the right direction. A RES would decrease greenhouse gas emissions and create a framework for future sustainable clean energy production.

Due to the wariness of representatives to push through any disputatious legislation before the mid-term elections, and the proceeding lame-duck session of Congress there is uncertainty if a renewable electricity standard will have enough support to pass in this session of Congress. That is why it is so important that we take action now and build support for a RES. Comprehensive climate legislation has stalled for the foreseeable future, but this is an opportunity to begin moving towards phasing out the use of carbon-intensive energy.

Ask your senators to support a national renewable electricity standard, which would reduce CO2 emissions and US dependence on fossil fuels, create jobs, and keep the United States competitive in the global clean energy market.


Three Reasons for a National RES:

• Environmental Improvement
  Creating energy from renewable sources such as solar, wind, geothermal, hydro, and biomass will significantly reduce green house gas emissions and lessen our environmental impact. It is also a step in moving the Unites States towards a carbon free economy. Already 28 states plus Washington DC have enacted state level RES’s that have emerged as effective tools for developing cleaner energy.
  
  
• Job Creation and Investment
  The establishment of a RES will create a market for clean energy, creating hundreds of thousands of domestic jobs. Currently global investors are waiting for strong policy signals from the United States, which is delaying the development of a domestic market for renewables.
  
  
• International Competition
  As of today China is the number one destination for investment in clean energy. In 2009, China spent twice as much as the United States on renewable energy sources. China, along with other emerging economies such as India are positioning themselves to become the dominant players in the global clean energy market. A RES will ensure a level of energy security, including an assurance against energy price volatility, and position the United States in this emerging global market.
  

More Resources:

• In a growing number of states, renewable electricity standards have emerged as an effective way for delivering a cleaner, more stable power supply. See Union of Concerned Scientists' Renewable Electricity Standard Toolkit, for information on a state-by-state basis.
• Union of Concerned Scientist:: Renewable Energy as a Climate Solution.
• Of Peace and Politics: Clean Energy is Misleading