If you support establishment of a federal Renewable Electricity Standard (RES), you may wish to convey your disappointment with Sen. Evan Bayh. One amendment was considered today that would have eliminated the RES title completely: it failed 9-13, with Sen. Bayh as the only Democrat voting in favor.
Please contact Sen. Bayh by calling (202) 224-5623 or senator@bayh.senate.gov.
Or you may wish to send your comments to Sen. Bayh's Energy/Environment Legislative Assistant, Chris Murray at chris_murray@Bayh.senate.gov.
May 21, 2009
Bayh opposes renewable-energy requirement
By MAUREEN GROPPE
Gannett Washington Bureau
http://www.jconline.com/article/20090521/NEWS09/90521017
WASHINGTON - Sen. Evan Bayh was the only Democrat to oppose a renewable-energy requirement approved by a Senate energy committee today as part of a broader energy bill.
Bayh said Indiana would be among the states that would bear a disproportionate share of the cost of meeting the requirement. He said a fairer system would be offering tax credits for producing power from renewable sources.
The energy bill the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee is working on would require power companies to get 15 percent of their electricity from renewable energy sources or from energy efficiency improvements by 2021.
"A lot of states like Indiana and most of the states in the Southeast and others around the country are going to find the renewable sources are not cost-effective," said Sen. Jeff Sessions, the Alabama Republican who tried to strip the requirement from the bill.
Sen. Jeff Bingaman, the New Mexico Democrat who heads the committee, had softened the requirements from an earlier version in hopes of winning over moderate Democrats including Bayh, Sen. Mary Landrieu of Louisiana and Sen. Blanch Lincoln of Arkansas.
Lincoln voted for the requirement, and Landrieu did not vote.
But because two Republicans voted with Democrats, the requirement had enough votes to keep the bill alive. The committee plans to take up multiple amendments before completing action.
Twenty-eight states, not including Indiana, have a renewable-energy requirement.
"Twenty-eight states have done it and we can't do it?" said Sen. Byron Dorgan, D-N.D. "Of course we can."
Sen. Debbie Stabenow, a Michigan Democrat who supported the national requirement, said Michigan's standard has resulted in new jobs as power companies strive to meet it.
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1 comment:
Kudos for Senator Bayh. There are better and less expensive ways to support green energy, such as energy efficiency. Increase the efficiency requirements of Indiana's building codes. The Daniels admin is suppose to be working on this. Tax credits are also better.
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