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Rendell Welcomes Alternative Fuel Facility

Pennsylvania – Startup ethanol producer Coskata Inc. and its partner, General Motors Corp., plan to have a $25 million demonstration plant up and running by early next year. The plant is expected to be up and operating by this time in 2009 in Westmoreland County. Officials say it will produce 40,000 gallons of cellulosic fuel, or bio-fuel, to be tested in General Motors vehicles. Gov. Ed Rendell says the expansion of cellulosic facilities could create more than 25,000 jobs and 6.6 billion in Pa. revenue. The plant will turn non-food-based waste, such as wood debris and corn stalks, into about 40,000 gallons of ethanol annually. “What produces cellulosic ethanol is not corn, it’s wood chips, wood fiber, agriculture waste, landfill waste and switch grass, and that’s one of the things Pennsylvania has an abundance,” said Rendell.
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Four-Year Strategy has Democratic Governors’ Group Eyeing 2010 Races. California’s next gubernatorial election is more than 31 months away, but a national Democratic organization already sees the now-Republican seat as a prime target in 2010. The Democratic Governors Association, anticipating a high-profile California race, was planning on ramping up its activity in the state in the immediate future. The DGA’s plans for California are part of a national program the organization has launched called Project 2010, a four-year plan aimed at preparing Democratic incumbents and challengers through the elections. Like the Democratic senate and congressional campaign arms, the DGA has operated on a two-year cycle, but the heavy concentration of races in 2010 – there will be 16 races between 2007 and 2009 and 36 races in 2010 – prompted the organization to recalibrate.
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ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENT NEWS

IA – Culver Attends Conference on Biorenewable Energy. Top Iowa State University officials, along with Iowa Gov. Chet Culver came together as part of a greater effort to keep Iowa leading in biorenewable energy and to ensure the sustainability of Iowa’s land and economy. The conference explored the impact and implications of the emerging bioeconomy, including economic stability, land use changes and safeguards for the visual landscape. Gov. Culver, keynoting the conference, thanked Iowa State as “an invaluable partner in the bioeconomy, promoting our rural communities, which are the backbone of our state.”
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KY – Beshear Delivers Park Grant. Gov. Steve Beshear stopped by the Florence Government Center with a large, ceremonial check for $30,450 in hand. The funds are designated for a crumb rubber project. Crumb rubber, made from recycled scrap tires, is used for mulch on playgrounds, for walking tracks, landscaping, and for reduction in soil degradation on athletic fields. The governor’s stop was part of his Earth Week tour where he stressed the grant’s promotion of using recycled materials during his speech. “State government is meeting needs in local communities, while tackling a vexing problem … what to do with worn out tires?” Beshear said. “Whole tires cannot be disposed of in a landfill, consequently we see too many of these tires thrown in creeks or roadside dumps. This is a perfect example of how we can cooperate to protect the environment.
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MD – O’Malley Expands Conservation Corps. One day after signing legislation that protects Maryland’s environment, the health of the Chesapeake Bay, and helps secure Maryland’s energy future, Gov. Martin O’Malley announced the expansion of the Maryland Conservation Corps – the state’s award winning AmeriCorps program – to include a summer job program for underserved and court-involved youth. “Our new Civic Justice Corps will create paid summer jobs and meaningful outdoor experiences for at-risk youth, while contributing to the preservation and restoration of our state parks,” said O’Malley. “These young people will not only learn the value and benefits of service and find a connection with nature; they will also develop job skills to prepare them for our increasingly green economy.”
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MI – Granholm Works to Bring More Wind Mills to State. Gov. Jennifer Granholm says Michigan should add more wind power and should make the components of the windmills used to generate it. The governor says Michigan already has advantages to attract companies that make components for wind turbines, manufacturing capacity, skilled workers and a windy shoreline. She says Michigan needs a law that would require a guaranteed amount of the state’s power come from wind or other renewable sources.
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NY – Paterson Signs Order to ‘Green’ State Government. Gov. David Paterson has signed an Executive Order establishing a New York State “Green Procurement and Agency Sustainability Program,” to promote policies within state agencies and authorities that reduce the consumption of materials and energy and reduce potential impacts on public health and the environment. As a result, state agencies will purchase environmentally-friendly commodities, services and technology and develop sustainability and stewardship programs. The Executive Order will achieve its goals through three primary initiatives: an interagency committee, environmentally-friendly agency programs and policies, and training State employees to pursue their duties in a manner which is mindful of their impact on the environment.
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NC – Easley Encourages River Clean-Up. AmeriCorps members in North Carolina will participate in service projects for National Volunteer Week, including a river clean-up. Members will help children and the elderly and take part in gardening and land beautification projects and other community events, Gov. Mike Easley said, encouraging other North Carolinians to follow their example.
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GENERAL NEWS

AZ – Napolitano Awards Funds to Fight Measles Outbreak. Help from the state will cut measles testing times here from two days to just a few hours, the Governor’s Office said. Gov. Janet Napolitano designated $50,000 to be used for the investigation of measles cases and for overtime for lab workers on evenings and weekends, and to fund public health interventions such as clinics.
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AR – Beebe Breaks Ground at Calcium Chloride Plant. With a quick turn of a gold-tipped shovel, Gov. Mike Beebe broke ground at TETRA Technology Inc.’s new calcium chloride plant. The $100 million plant will employ 50 permanent workers and bring as many as 400 short-term construction jobs to the area. Beebe said the construction project provides hope to the people of South Arkansas, and he called for the entire state to honor the occasion.
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IL – Blagojevich Increases Funding to Hospitals. Gov. Rod Blagojevich announced that Illinois hospitals will begin receiving millions of dollars anticipated under a new law. The $600 million in federal matching funds will support healthcare and Medicaid services throughout Illinois. The Chicago area will receive over $261 million in the new funding. “Starting immediately, hospitals all over Illinois will receive money that will enable them to continue providing essential Medicaid services to low-income families, seniors and people with disabilities throughout Illinois,” Blagojevich said.
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MA – Patrick Identifies ‘Growth District’ to Receive Funds. The SouthField area that served as the site of the former South Weymouth Naval Air Station has been identified as a municipal “growth district,” enabling the state to make targeted areas “development ready” and expedite commercial and residential development in the area. Approximately $250,000 in work force training grants are being given to South Shore Hospital and South Shore Savings Bank, Gov. Deval Patrick announced. Specifically, the hospital will receive $215,000 for the professional development of 29 nurses, which will enable them to work as they obtain credits toward a bachelor’s degree, and the bank will receive $34,000 to help train 50 people in advanced sales and customer service. “Growth districts are hubs of economic growth and housing development across the Commonwealth,” Patrick said. “By identifying districts such as SouthField and focusing our collective resources on making each one development ready, we are creating the conditions for business growth and community revitalization for years to come.”
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NH – Lynch Orders Health IT Boost. Gov. John Lynch issued an executive order directing the state’s Citizens Health Initiative to develop a plan to upgrade the state’s health IT infrastructure. The executive order will require the initiative to work with hospitals, providers and businesses to develop the infrastructure by encouraging the use of common standards, coordinating efforts and ensuring the privacy of patients’ medical information. The order also requires the Citizens Health Initiative to create work groups composed of stakeholders and to deliver a strategic plan to Lynch by Dec. 1.
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NM – Richardson Sees Hope for U.S. Hostages. Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has agreed to re-engage Colombian rebels in an effort to win the release of three Americans who have been hostages in Colombia since 2003, Gov. Bill Richardson of New Mexico said. Returning from a trip to South America on Sunday, Richardson said he sees hope that Colombian rebels will free the U.S. hostages. Richardson met with Colombian President Alvaro Uribe and Chavez, who played a key role in the recent release of six hostages whom rebels held in Colombia. “I believe that we made progress,” Richardson said.
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OH – Strickland Collects Ideas for Reforming Public Schools. Major changes in the state’s K-12 public school system are evolving as Gov. Ted Strickland fields ideas from various business, academic and civic players around the state. The governor said in his State of the State speech last month that he would have a plan to reform education by next year. A few of his wishes, notably the creation of a governor-appointed director of education position, are already known.
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VA – Kaine Opens Conference on Ending Infant Mortality. Calling infant mortality one of the state’s biggest weaknesses, Gov. Tim Kaine kicked off a regional forum to find solutions to move Virginia up from the basement. He said a state with the fifth-highest median income in the nation should not have an infant mortality rate that ranks 32nd in the country, a level that has stagnated during the past decade. “We have barely moved the needle on infant mortality,” Kaine said.
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WV – Manchin Awards Grants to Domestic Violence Shelter. Gov. Joe Manchin has awarded $985,809 in STOP Violence Against Women Grant Program funds for 27 projects across the state. These funds establish or enhance teams whose core members include victim service providers, law enforcement and prosecution to improve the criminal justice system’s response to violence against women. Grants provide personnel, equipment, training, technical assistance and information systems for these teams.
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WI – Doyle Initiative Awards Employee Training Grant. Orion Energy Systems has received a grant for employee training through Lakeshore Technical College (LTC). The grant was announced as part of Gov. Jim Doyle’s Grow Wisconsin – The Next Steps initiative for strengthening the economy. Orion will receive a $37,596 grant to which the company will add an additional investment to complete training for its workers. LTC will work with Orion to develop a training model to increase company productivity by fostering employee creativity and innovation.
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