At SolveClimate, Maria Galluci writes, State Renewable Energy Standards Under Attack from GOP Legislators:
Republican legislators in Montana, Colorado, Minnesota and Missouri are separately trying to weaken or dismantle the renewable portfolio standards in their states, which are seen as crucial to U.S. efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and develop a globally competitive clean economy.
Officials pushing the bills say that energy prices soar and consumers suffer when utilities are required to allocate a certain percentage of electricity from renewable sources like wind and solar. Clean energy groups counter that lowering the bar on state renewable energy policies would stifle new investment and kill jobs.
If passed, the bills would go against the trend among most states to strengthen standards and attract clean energy developers by creating a market for renewables, said Jessica Shipley, a fellow at the Washington-based Pew Center on Global Climate Change.
"I suspect [the bills] have to do with the recent tough economic times and the concern that regulations impose additional costs on businesses," she told SolveClimate News. "But I wouldn't consider it a big movement to repeal RPS across the board."
Twenty-seven states and the District of Columbia have mandatory standards in place, and seven states have renewable portfolio goals, according to U.S. EPA figures. In the last two years, states such as California, New York, Nevada and Colorado have voted to increase or even double their requirements.
Having hamstrung congressional and administration efforts to deal with climate change and most efforts on clean energy, the GOP has chosen its current strategy wisely. The states - well, some of them - are where something is being done about renewable energy. Guided by its brain-dead perspective on the planet's future, the GOP is duty-bound to target jurisdictions that have the vision and a willingness to act on it. Gotta make sure that no coal plants are replaced by wind farms. That would be unAmerican. Just one more reason why we need to spend far more energy organizing a networked movement at the local level.
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At Daily Kos on this date in 2007:
As the House begins their three days of debate on the non-binding Iraq War resolution, the American people:
...overwhelmingly support congressional action to cap the number of U.S. troops in Iraq and set a timetable to bring them home by the end of next year, a USA TODAY/Gallup Poll finds — tougher action than the non-binding resolution the House of Representatives is to begin debating today.
Other findings:
There is majority support for congressional action on Iraq: 51% back a non-binding resolution, 57% a cap on troop levels and 63% a timetable to withdraw all U.S. troops by the end of 2008. However, 58% oppose denying funding for the additional troops.
The Senate's failure to act last week rankled nearly two-thirds of those surveyed. By 51%-19%, they blamed Republicans.