Earth Equity News

Senate Energy Committee Chair Pushes for Renewable Energy Standard. By Tom Doggett, Reuters, February 12, 2009. "There is enough support in Congress to pass legislation requiring utilities to generate a portion of their electricity supplies from wind, solar and other renewable energy sources, the chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee said on Tuesday. The committee held a hearing on draft legislation that would set a national renewable electricity standard, which would help meet President Barack Obama's goal to double renewable energy production over the next three years. Under the bill, the amount of the U.S. electricity supply coming from renewable energy sources would gradually increase to 4% in 2011-12, 8% in 2013-15, 12% in 2016-18, 16% in 2019-20 and 20% in 2021-39. 'I think that the votes are present in the Senate to pass a renewable electricity standard. I think that they are present in the House,' Sen. Jeff Bingaman, the energy committee's chairman, said. 'I think that we need to get on with figuring out what we can pass and move forward.' Qualifying renewable energy sources under the bill would be wind, solar, ocean currents and waves, geothermal, biomass, landfill gas and incremental hydropower."