When it comes to a clean, renewable energy future, elections matter.
The upcoming 2008 elections will again demonstrate the strength of an increasingly common type of voter – one that believes that while the U.S. has the technology, know-how and power to build a clean energy economy that will create jobs and fight global warming, we have lacked the political will and leadership to take us there.
A March 2007 survey by Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research for the Center for American Progress reported that Americans believe that the most important goal of our energy policy should be to create clean, alternative forms of energy.
According to the report, “Americans believe alternative energy sources, such as solar and wind energy, are a central part of our nation’s economic future. As our traditional manufacturing jobs evaporate, they want America to lead in building a robust, alternative energy economy.”
The choices we make in 2008 will define our future – especially when it comes to the election and energy issues. The contrast between competing visions of America’s energy future could not be sharper this year: We can move forward to a clean energy economy that creates jobs, save consumers money and solves global warming, or we can continue the expensive, polluting policies of the past.
The Sierra Club recently launched the Power2Change campaign, which aims to educate the public and candidates about what is at stake in the elections by defining the contrast between competing visions of our energy future.
It positions clean energy as an economic driver that creates good paying jobs and challenges candidates up and down the ballot, including the new President to move America towards a clean energy economy.
Elections matter in Denver and across Colorado. Governor Ritter was elected to office in 2006 in large part due to his commitment to promote renewable energy and reduce global warming.
He recently announced his Climate Action Plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 80% by 2050. The plan’s specific action items include the necessary reduction of tailpipe emissions from new vehicles, which not only helps with global warming but also makes our air cleaner.
In 2004, Colorado voters demonstrated their belief in clean energy policy by becoming the first state to create a renewable electricity standard by ballot initiative, a modest 10% by 2020 – meaning that 10% of the state’s electricity had to be from renewable sources. That goal has now been met as of this year, 12 years ahead of schedule.
More recently, the Colorado Statehouse has doubled the renewable electricity standard to 20% by 2020. In addition, a dozen Colorado mayors, including Mayor Hickenlooper, have joined 800 mayors nationwide to commit to the implementation of municipal climate action plans, responding to public demand for climate action.
Elections matter at the business end as well. Xcel energy, the largest utility in Colorado, has responded quickly to meet both the state’s 20% RES standard and move towards Governor Ritter’s 80% GHG reduction goal by 2050.
Xcel has proposed to retire two coal fired power plants in Colorado, the Arapahoe plant near Denver and the Cameo plant on the west slope, and convert them to natural gas, as well as to increase solar and wind facility generation as a clean energy source.
The permit request is now being considered by the Colorado Public Utilities Commission, with public comment periods occurring this spring and summer. This is a welcome business response that comes largely from election results and good policy setting.
At the federal level, legislators are making similar statements about elections putting leaders in place. On March 22, 2007, the first Senate hearing on global warming, California Senator Barbara Boxer, who had recently become the new chairperson of the committee on Environment and Public Works, reminded those listening that “elections have consequences.” Senator Boxer made the comment after a committee member interrupted the testimony from former Vice President Al Gore.
The technology exists now to move us beyond oil and coal to a clean energy future driven by wind, solar and other renewable sources of power, along with cost-saving energy efficient buildings, cars and appliances. Americans know this, and candidates should recognize that the public demands leadership in energy policy.
Elections will continue to matter – especially this year. We need to challenge all our elected officials – including the next President – to provide the leadership we need to move us forward toward a clean energy economy.
Roger Singer is the regional representative for Sierra Club in Colorado, based in Boulder.
EDITOR’S NOTE: This online-only column was not edited.
