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Democratic Governors Discuss America's Energy Future

State Energy Accomplishments Help Position Democrats for November Victories

Washington, D.C. – Governors Jennifer Granholm (Mich.) and Ted Kulongoski (Ore.) hosted a national conference call today to talk about the nation’s energy future and the policies Democratic governors are putting to work to reduce America’s reliance on foreign oil.

Gov. Granholm said she is focused on making Michigan the state that makes the country independent of foreign oil and announced her support for the 25 by 25 Blueprint which calls for 25 percent of the nation’s energy to come from renewable resources by 2025. In addition to her vision for the future, Granholm talked about Michigan’s accomplishments during the last three years which include putting four additional ethanol plants on the ground in Michigan, increasing availability of ethanol to the motoring public, and purchasing hybrid and flex fuel cars for the state fleet.

Gov. Kulongoski told callers that making America energy independent is critical to our national security, environment, and economy. In his first term as Governor, Kulongoski made moving Oregon toward energy independence a priority, developing the state’s first Renewable Energy Action Plan, increasing the state’s use of flex fuel, biodiesel and hybrid vehicles by approximately 200%, and moving state government toward 100% of its electricity derived from renewable sources by 2010. Looking to the future, Kulongoski has a plan to diversify Oregon’s energy supply by investing in both research and development of alternative energy, including ethanol and biodiesel for cars, and wind, wave, geothermal and solar power for electricity. Kulongoski has also called for a Renewable Portfolio Standard of 25 % by 2025 to ensure Oregon truly ends its dependence on traditional fuels, such as coal, oil and natural gas.

Govs. Kulongoski and Granholm are two examples of Democratic governors who are leading the way to energy independence and lower energy costs through innovative policies. Democratic governors are replacing older fleet vehicles with alternative fuel vehicles, constructing energy-efficient “green” buildings, pushing renewable fuels portfolios, and investing in new fuel technologies for ethanol, synfuels and coal-waste-to-diesel. Below are some additional examples of what Democratic governors are doing in their states:

At least a dozen Democratic governors have either incentivized or required state governments to reduce energy consumption and build energy-efficient structures;
At least five states with Democratic governors have implemented specific programs for increasing energy-efficiency standards, including Arizona, where Gov. Janet Napolitano required 12 appliances, like clothes washers and traffic lights, to conform to stricter energy efficiency standards;
Four states with Democratic governors have signed onto regional, multi-state energy conservation programs aimed at reducing natural gas consumption, and at least three Democratic governors are using streamlined permitting processes to speed the development of efficient energy production plants.

Washington Republicans talk a lot about the need for energy independence, but have done nothing substantive about it. In fact, under Republican leadership, America’s reliance on foreign oil has skyrocketed to the point that 60 percent of the oil our nation uses is imported from foreign countries.

The nation’s Democratic governors are calling for a national strategy to make America energy independent. America needs a national approach to support an Apollo Project-like effort to galvanize federal, state and private sector efforts to build America’s energy independence. Doing so will create jobs, save consumers money, and make our country safer.

As Republicans focus on the politics of divisiveness and distraction, Democratic governors are working on solutions to the issues that matter most, like energy independence. Voters in states looking to change the direction of our country have the opportunity to do so with this year’s 36 gubernatorial elections. By re-electing Democratic governors and adding new ones, voters can get America back on track.

For a state-by-state report of energy accomplishments by Democratic governors, visit http://www.democraticgovernors.org/energy.

To hear the audio from today’s call, visit http://www.democraticgovernors.org/energycall062206.

Copyright & Paid for by The Democratic Governors Association

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