Why the U.S. Needs a Renewable Electricity Standard
A national Renewable Electricity Standard (RES) would, for the first time, signal a long-term, national commitment to expanding the use of renewable energy in the U.S. A national RES should call for 25 percent of the nation’s electricity to come from renewable energy sources by 2025. Twenty-eight states, including Ohio, already have RES policies, which have been effective and economical incentives for the development of wind and other renewable energy sources.
An aggressive near-term target, such as the 10 percent by 2012 objective called for in the Barack Obama and Joe Biden New Energy for American plan, is essential to ensure rapid deployment of renewable resources. The target levels should increase incrementally in the years that follow. According to the President’s plan, “This national requirement will spur significant private sector investment in renewable sources of energy and create thousands of new American jobs.” The long-term predictability of an RES will enable the industry to attract investment capital and achieve manufacturing economies of scale that will spur economic development, lower consumer prices, strengthen U.S. energy security and promote a healthier environment.
Alongside geothermal fields, solar resources and access to biomass, one of the best ways to transition to renewable energy in the U.S. is wind power, which currently operates in 35 states. Wind is a domestic, inexhaustible source of energy, and is free from fuel price volatility. U.S. wind resources are also vast enough to supply the needs of the entire country several times over, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. With the right policies to sustain renewable energy’s momentum—including the national RES and strong climate legislation with early and aggressive emissions reductions targets—the U.S. wind energy industry is ready to deliver on the President’s call to double production in three years, leveraging billions in investment and creating tens of thousands of jobs.
These lofty goals, however, do not come without their challenges. Investment is needed in the nation’s transmission system so that the electricity generated is delivered to urban centers that need the increased supply. Also, better regional planning is needed so that regions can depend on a diversity of generation sources, not just wind. Significant growth is needed in the manufacturing supply chain, remedying the current shortage in parts for wind turbines and creating jobs. Lastly, there are many concerns about local siting, wildlife, and visual/noise pollution.
In spite of this, one of the largest supporters of the RES is the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA), which held the WINDPOWER 2009 Conference and Exhibition in Chicago in May. During the conference, AWEA released results of a new poll showing profound bipartisan support for a national RES. “The American people support an RES because it will create employment and reduce carbon emissions. Our job now is to make sure that members of Congress follow their constituents,” said AWEA CEO Denise Bode. The poll, which was conducted by Garin Hart Yang Research Group, found that 75 percent of voters favor the RES. The poll proves that the RES draws bipartisan support, with 86 percent of Democrats in favor of the RES proposal, as well as 71 percent of independents and 62 percent of Republicans.
Now is the time to let your elected officials know how you feel about a national RES. Contact Ohio’s senators Republican George Voinovich at 202-224-3353 and Democratic Sherrod Brown at 202-224-2315 and remind them that the RES provides a predictable, competitive market, within which renewable generators compete with each other to lower prices. The national RES will save American consumers money and protect against fuel spikes, reduce greenhouse gase emissions and spur economic development. RES polices already exist in Ohio, but not at the national level. To email your representatives, visit www.awea.org/TakeAction. For more information, visit www.awea.org.