DENVER—The Western Governors’ Association is urging Congress, which is debating the federal energy bill, to “act quickly and decisively” to pass tax credits and other programs promoting domestic, clean and renewable energy.
The Denver-based group asked Congressional leaders in a letter Thursday to support, among other things, 10-year extensions of the production tax credit for all renewable electricity technologies and the investment tax credit for solar technologies.
The letter, signed by the group’s chairman, Democratic Gov. Dave Freudenthal of Wyoming, and vice chairman, Republican Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. of Utah, also supports a significant increase in the tax credit and accelerated timetable for clean-coal technologies and capture of carbon dioxide emissions.
“As Governors we have been actively implementing and advocating for clean energy policies in our own states. We are also cooperating at a regional level,” the governors wrote.
But the states still need a significant commitment from the federal government, the governors said.
The U.S. House passed an energy bill Thursday that promotes vehicle fuel economy, biofuels and renewable energy. The bill would require investor-owned utilities get at least 15 percent of their power from renewable sources and energy efficiency by 2020.
The bill’s fate is uncertain as it heads to the Senate, where Republican opposition is strong. White House officials have said President Bush opposes the measure’s repeal of tax breaks for the oil industry and renewable energy mandates for utilities.
Colorado’s Bill Ritter was one of five Democratic governors who signed a letter sent Wednesday to Congress in support of a national renewable electricity standard and increased vehicle fuel efficiency standards.
Colorado voters became the first in the nation to require utilities to get more of their power from renewable energy sources. Amendment 37, a 2004 ballot measure, directed the state’s largest utilities to get 10 percent of their power from renewable energy by 2015.
This year Colorado lawmakers strengthened the voters’ mandate by increasing the amount of renewable energy utilities must sell to 20 percent by 2020.
