Congrats to Rich Dana for getting this LTE in the Des Moines Register on
6/30. A needed response to Sen. Gronstal's lte last week, and a good 'hit'
on the Senate's Energy Bill.

See text below.

Lyle Krewson


By Register Readers
06/30/2003
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Renewable-energy sources are a must

In his June 24 letter, Iowa Senate Minority Leader Michael Gronstal called
on the Democratic presidential candidates to work for the passage of a
federal energy bill, touting the need for such a bill primarily based on its
support for ethanol. As an aside, he mentioned tax credits for wind energy
and provisions addressing natural-gas prices.

Gronstal did not mention an important amendment to the energy bill,
sponsored by New Mexico's Senator Jeff Bingaman, that calls for a national
renewable-energy standard of 10 percent by 2020. This amendment would
require the nation's utilities to use renewable-energy sources such as wind
and biomass, and would provide a credit-trading system that would allow Iowa
farmers to produce power to be sold to other states.

The amendment would bring huge economic benefits to Iowa, and according to a
new report from the U.S. Department of Energy's Energy Information
Administration, would help reduce natural-gas prices.

Earlier this year, Gronstal co-sponsored a bill allowing investor-owned
utilities to own wind farms in Iowa, making it harder for farmers and other
small producers who would want to get their foot in the door of the new,
growing wind industry. Now he is calling on the presidential candidates to
lead the fight to pass a federal energy bill that could be damaging to
Iowa's economy and environment if it does not include a meaningful move
toward the use of renewable-energy sources.

I appreciate Gronstal's concerns about the Bush administration's emphasis on
new oil and gas drilling, but he is ignoring the most obvious solution to
our nation's problems of high natural-gas prices, dependance on foreign
sources of energy and toxic emissions from coal plants like the one being
built in his district by MidAmerican Energy.

Leaders in both parties need to open their eyes to the obvious opportunities
that renewable energy can bring to the people of Iowa and the country in
terms of economic growth, improved national security, environmental benefits
and lower natural-gas prices. If Congress passes energy legislation that
does not include a renewable-energy source, it is doing a disservice to all
Americans, regardless of the advantages it brings to its supporters in the
"Big Ag," utility and fossil-fuel industries.

Rich Dana,
Guernsey.



Lyle R. Krewson
Sierra Club Conservation Organizer
6403 Aurora Avenue #3
Des Moines, IA 50322-2862

515/276-8947
515/238-7113 - cel

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