Let's go for it man!!! Daryl On Feb 5, 2008, at 1:10 PM, Mike Carberry wrote: > Apologies for multiple postings. Please feel free to forward to > your family, friends and state legislators. > > http://www.press-citizen.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080205/ > OPINION02/802050311/1018/OPINION > > > > > Tuesday, February 5, 2008 > > > My global warming wish list for Iowa > > > Mike Carberry > > Guest Opinion > > You may call me greedy, but I want a lot from the current session > of the Iowa General Assembly when it comes to clean energy and > global warming solutions. You may look at them as a late Christmas > present, New Year's resolutions and birthday present all rolled > into one big package. Here are my personal priorities for the 2008 > Iowa legislative session. They include (in no particular order): > > • Reduce global warming pollution 80 percent by 2050. Set > greenhouse gas reduction goals based on scientific consensus. Iowa > should ensure that greenhouse gas emissions peak now and then > achieve a long-term goal of reducing emissions by 80 percent below > 1990 levels by 2050. Engage with other states in the Midwest to > establish a market-based system to reduce greenhouse gases > efficiently and effectively. Midwestern states can cap emissions, > auction greenhouse gas permits and create a trading market to > reduce emissions. A regional system is an effective way for states > in the region to reduce emissions and will position the Midwest for > action on future national policies. > > • Raise the Renewable Energy Standard, or RES, of 25 percent of > total electrical sales in Iowa by 2025. This is the mechanism that > initially forced Iowa utility companies to begin considering > renewable energy and many think a prime reason that Iowa currently > is fourth in wind-generated electricity. The old standard of 2 > percent has been surpassed and no longer is effective. A new > standard of 25 percent by 2025 now is achievable and consistent > with national priorities. Short-term standards of 10 percent by > 2010, 15 percent by 2015 and 20 percent by 2020 also are needed. > This is approximately 1 percent growth a year. Require a certain > percentage of the standard to be purchased from locally owned > renewable energy projects. > > • Encourage Community Owned Renewable Energy. Local ownership of > our renewable energy infrastructure brings more benefits to the > rural economy than outside corporate ownership. Much capacity > currently exists on distribution lines in Iowa to supply clean > energy. Legislation will require all utilities to offer a tariff > that is modeled on the successful Minnesota Community Based Energy > Development program, or C-BED, which sets rates that encourage > local ownership of renewable energy. These smaller community-owned > projects will be distributed across Iowa thereby utilizing the > existing transmission grid eliminating the need for big expensive > power lines. > > • Create an energy efficiency standard of 2 percent per year of > total sales reduced for all utilities, including municipals, rural > electric cooperatives and investor-owned utilities in both the gas > and electric sector. Iowa's utilities have made significant gains > in implementing efficiency programs, but more can be done to > realize the vast cost-effective potential of energy efficiency. > Iowa has significant opportunities to reduce electricity use from > energy efficiency, which is cheaper than alternatives like building > new generation capacity. > > • Set up net billing and standardized interconnect. Net billing > allows a producer of renewable energy to interconnect to the power > line on their side of the meter and "run their electric meter both > directions," the total usage being "netted" out at the end of each > month. Most rural and municipal utilities currently do not offer > net billing opportunities to their customers effectively denying > them the ability to participate. In addition, inconsistent > interconnection standards make it more difficult and expensive to > install renewable energy. All utilities in Iowa will work with the > Iowa Utility Board and interested parties and submit a simplified > standardized net billing plan (tariff) that will encourage > renewable energy net billing. > > • Permit no new coal-powered plants that do not permanently capture > and sequester CO2 from day one. Iowa now faces two proposals for > new coal-fired power plants. Compared to coal, renewable energy and > energy efficiency offer significant economic benefits and support > goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in Iowa. Iowa must use > renewable energy and energy efficiency, instead of coal, and the > economic benefits from these opportunities are staggering. > > Given that this an election year, I might not get all of these > requests but it never hurts to ask. The ones that I don't get this > year surely will be on my list next year because they are things > that really are needed not just wanted. > > Mike Carberry is a tree hugger and professional environmental > advocate from Iowa City. > > Return to article > > Copyright © 2005, Iowa City Press-Citizen. > Use of this site signifies your agreement to the Terms of Service > (updated 1/3/2003). > > > -- > Mike Carberry > > Iowa Global Warming > Senior Regional Field Director > > 2029 Friendship St. > Iowa City IA 52245 > > Office: 319.338.8820 > Mobile: 319.594.6453 > > > [log in to unmask] > [log in to unmask] > > www.IowaGlobalWarming.org > > Please consider the environment before printing this email. > > - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - To > unsubsribe from the IOWA-TOPICS list, send any message to: IOWA- > [log in to unmask] Check out our Listserv > Lists support site for more information: http://www.sierraclub.org/ > lists/faq.asp Sign up to receive Sierra Club Insider, the flagship > e-newsletter. 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