Coalition Seeks Renewable Energy Initiatives

"Renewable energy businesses throughout New England have much to gain from initiatives that will reduce global warming."

- NESEA Renewable Energy Program Director Meghan Houlihan

Greenfield, Massachusetts - January 8, 2004 [SolarAccess.com] The New England Climate Coalition (NECC), a coalition of more than 160 state and local environmental, public health, municipal, and religious organizations, has launched an effort to garner business support for state initiatives to stop global warming. This effort is part of NECC's work with the New England governors to implement state Climate Action Plans, in accordance with their 2001 agreement to cut global warming pollution in the region. While several states have been working to prepare their Climate Action Plans, to date, none has been released.

The Northeast Sustainable Energy Association (NESEA), an NECC member, is calling on renewable energy businesses to lend their support to this campaign.

"Renewable energy businesses throughout New England have much to gain from initiatives that will reduce global warming," said Meghan Houlihan, Renewable Energy Program Director at NESEA. "By investing in new, cleaner technologies, states will provide the economic impetus that the renewable energy industry in New England needs in order to flourish."

NESEA and NECC are asking businesses throughout New England to sign on to a letter that will be presented to each of the six New England governors. The letter urges the governors to meet the short- and long-term goals of curbing greenhouse gas emissions that were agreed as part of the region's Climate Change Action Plan in 2001. The short-term targets include reducing global warming pollution to 1990 levels by 2010 and to 10 percent below 1990 levels by 2020. The long-term goal entails neutralizing our impacts on the climate by cutting emissions 75 to 85 percent.

"There are many business leaders who see global warming as a threat to our regional economy, because inherent to global warming is uncertainty about the business climate," said Frank Gorke, Energy Advocate with the Massachusetts Public Interest Research Group. " But if the governors can get a handle on the problem with their Climate Action Plans, our region will become a clean energy leader."

Business representatives in New England who wish to support state action to stop global warming are encouraged to add their signatures to the letter. The letter will be presented to the New England governors in February.
For Further Information:

• NESEA

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