Apollo Alliance Energy Report Urges President to Follow Model State Programs

The states are already leading the way on clean energy as President Bush travels the country to sell his plan to end the country's "addiction to oil," according to a report released today by the Apollo Alliance, a Washington, DC, nonprofit coalition that promotes greener energy solutions to create more US jobs and increase energy independence. The report, called "New Energy for States," outlines the best state-based clean energy solutions the president can adopt nationally.

President Bush plans to visit alternative energy companies in Auburn Hills, Mich., and Milwaukee, Wis., on Monday and tour the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden, Colo., on Tuesday to discuss energy policies.

Apollo Alliance president Jerome Ringo said that the president should adopt Wisconsin's leading-edge strategies to develop clean energy and good jobs.

"The president did a great service by admitting we must end our addiction to oil," said Ringo. "Taken together, states offer a clean energy blueprint that could create thousands of jobs and make the president's dream a reality."

The report documents dozens of state-level policies that could provide a blueprint to end our nation's dependence on foreign oil, promote clean fuels and create millions of good jobs. Twenty-three states have standards to increase the share of electric power from renewable sources like wind and sun.

Twenty-four states have adopted creative public-private funding mechanisms that make clean energy investments without straining budgets or raising taxes. New York, Missouri, Hawaii and several other states have adopted aggressive programs to replace oil imports with homegrown fuels.

About The Apollo Alliance
The Apollo Alliance is a coalition of labor, environmental, business and community organizations that are fighting for energy independence from foreign energy sources. For more information, visit www.apolloalliance.org.

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REPORT: APOLLO ALLIANCE STATE BLUEPRINT FOR CLEAN ENERGY AND GOOD JOBS

States have blazed the trail with policies to promote renewable power, reduce oil consumption, require energy-efficient appliances, and provide steady funding, immune from the budget cycle, for clean energy development. Together, these concepts provide a blueprint for the federal government, which lags behind in each category.

RENEWABLE ELECTRIC POWER

Renewable Portfolio Standards or Goals set a statewide target for generating electricity from renewable sources such as the wind and the sun.

* States with policy: Ariz., Calif., Colo., Conn., D.C., Del., Hawaii, Iowa, Ill., Mass., Md., Maine, Minn., Mont., Nev., N.J., N.M., N.Y., Penn., R.I., Texas, Vt., and Wis.

* Federal response: No renewable electricity standards or goals.

OIL SAVINGS

Several states are pursuing more aggressive policies than the federal government to reduce oil consumption. Renewable Fuel Standards (RFSs) require a minimum share of homegrown vehicle fuels such as ethanol.

* States with policy: Minn. will require 20 percent renewable fuel for vehicles by 2012, Hawaii is considering a 20 percent RFS by 2020, the Wash. legislature recently passed a 10 percent RFS standard and Ill. has an RFS pending of 15 percent by 2012.

* Federal response: In 2005, the federal government set a mandate to use 7.5 billion gallons of renewable fuel by 2012, equal to only about 5 percent of light duty vehicle fuel consumption.

APPLIANCE EFFICIENCY STANDARDS

Several states have adopted additional standards or have implemented faster implementation schedules or both.
 
* States with policy: Ariz., Calif., Conn., Mass., Md., N.J., N.Y., Ore., R.I., and Wash. have more appliance efficiency standards or quicker phase-ins than the federal government. 

* Federal response: New federal appliance standards were passed in 2005, but states are already beating the federal standards in scope and phase-in time.

DEDICATED PUBLIC FUNDING FOR CLEAN ENERGY

Some states have clean energy authorities with their own funding mechanisms, including Public Benefits Fund or System Benefits Charges that are dedicated to efficiency or renewable energy programs.

* States with policy: Ariz., Calif., Conn., D.C., Del., Ill., Mass., Md., Maine, Minn., Mont., N.C., N.H., N.J., N.M., N.Y., Nev.,  Ohio, Ore., Penn., R.I., Texas, Vt., and Wis., all have dedicated funding streams for clean energy or efficiency programs.

* Federal response: Federal funding is tied to the stop and go process of congressional appropriations, causing feast and famine cycles for clean energy and efficiency programs.

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