Clean Energy Goal ; Owens, Eight Other Western Governors Endorse Resolution

Jun 24 - Rocky Mountain News

In a bipartisan vote, governors of nine Western states, including Colorado's Bill Owens, unanimously approved a resolution Tuesday aimed at boosting clean and renewable -energy - a move that many called a "political milestone."

Each of these states voluntarily agreed to generate a total of 30,000 megawatts of electricity by 2015 from resources such as clean coal, gas, wind, solar, geothermal and biomass.

Three Democratic and five Republican governors signed the resolution during the annual meeting of the Western Governors Association in Santa Fe.

First introduced by Govs. Bill Richardson of New Mexico and Arnold Schwarzenegger of California at the WGA meeting in April, the resolution subsequently was supported by others - including Owens. He previously had said he was against any legislation that sets up renewable energy standards.

Owens succeeds Richardson as chairman of the WGA, an organization comprising 18 Western states, including the Dakotas, Alaska and Texas.

"Governor Owens and Governor Dave Freudenthal (of Wyoming) were the leading force in hammering out the compromise that resulted in this resolution," said Jim Sims, executive director of the Golden- based Western Business Roundtable, which lobbies on energy-related issues.

"Many governors in the West were reluctant to see (renewable energy) purchase mandates put on their states," Sims said, adding that the main concern was the burden the more expensive renewable energy would place on ratepayers. "This resolution reflects a more consensus approach. Rather than a mandate, it sets up a goal, and each state can decide how to achieve its portion of the goal."

Colorado's goal will be to generate from 1,300 to 1,600 megawatts of renewable energy by 2015, said Craig Cox, executive director of the Interwest Energy Alliance, a group that lobbies for the wind- energy industry.

"This resolution is an important political milestone. Although it doesn't have teeth, it shows political leadership on a region-wide basis," Cox said.

"I am told if we maximize the solar potential of Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada and California, it can supply power to the entire nation," Cox said. "Clearly, we have the resources; now we have the political will to leverage those resources."

Less than 2 percent of Colorado's electricity is generated from renewable resources.

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