Saturday, June 27, 2009
Great news! Today the U.S. House of Representatives passed historic global warming solutions legislation, the American Clean Energy and Security Act (219-212). This was no easy victory – it was achieved in part through constituents’ many letters and phone calls asking legislators to vote “Yes” on the Waxman-Markey Bill. ELPC and our many partners are now turning our strategic attention to the Senate.
Read Grist story quoting ELPC Executive Director Howard Learner on the passage of the bill. “Today’s vote creates momentum for our country to reduce global warming pollution and advance clean energy solutions,” said Howard A. Learner, executive director of the Environmental Law & Policy Center. “We appreciate the Midwest and Great Plains legislators who stood up for the future and voted in favor of this vital legislation.”
Friday, June 19, 2009
ELPC Government Relations Specialist Mindi Grieve, in ELPC’s Jamestown, North Dakota office, has an OpEd in the June 20th Grand Forks Herald. The opinion piece touts North Dakota’s strong clean energy resources and the state’s strong potential to benefit from clean energy legislation:
“Transitioning to a new clean-energy economy will create a bright economic future for North Dakota. In fact, the transition is already under way…North Dakota stands to gain a great deal from clean energy legislation. Our state has a huge potential for wind energy, clean biofuels and other energy sources.”
Read the full OpEd.
Monday, April 6, 2009
Speaking to a standing-room-only crowd at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management, ELPC President Howard Learner said that in tough economic times, it makes sense to invest in a greener future.
Mr. Learner predicted that the Midwest will continue to benefit from investment in wind power and high-speed rail in the coming months. He said that in recent years, concerns about energy, environment, economy and national security have converged and made investing the green economy an obvious choice.
Read a summary of the speech here
Saturday, April 4, 2009
In an Argus Leader OpEd, ELPC Executive Director Howard Learner explains that South Dakota is well-positioned to gain both economic as well as environmental benefits from global warming solutions legislation. Learner says that the state stands to benefit from a carbon-capped economy because of its excellent wind power resources and through new energy efficiency savings and a new agricultural offset and carbon sequestration program that will provide additional income to farmers. South Dakota also currently gets more than half of its energy supply from nonpolluting hydro power already.
Read the full opinion piece.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
On the day that ELPC celebrates the opening of its new Iowa office, Executive Director Howard Learner lays out a plan for Iowa’s future in an OpEd in the Des Moines Register. He points out that Iowa is well-positioned to be a leader in the growing green economy, specifically with three major opportunities in energy efficiency, wind power and high-speed rail development.
“Energy, environmental, employment, economic and national-security goals are converging. President Barack Obama and Congress are moving toward realigning our nation to accelerate clean-energy development to create new jobs and achieve significant greenhouse-gas pollution reductions. Clean-energy development is a win-win-win for job creation, economic growth and better environmental quality.”
Read the full OpEd.
Friday, March 6, 2009
In this editorial, the Des Moines register welcomed the decision by Interstate Power and Light to cancel plans for a new coal plant in Marshalltown, Iowa. The editorial rightly points out that coal is the leading cause of global warming pollution and spending huge amounts of money on a new plant would tie Iowa to a dirty and inceasingly expnsive source of energy.
The editors echoed ELPC’s call for the Iowa Utilities Board to require a strong efficiency plan from the utility Investing in renewable energy and energy efficiency will create jobs, save money, reduce pollution and eliminate the need for an expensive new coal plant.
Read the editorial here.
Friday, February 27, 2009
We are pleased to announce that ELPC Government Relations Specialist Mindi Grieve has been elected as the new chair of the North Dakota Alliance for Renewable Energy (NDARE). Ms. Grieve is a North Dakota native working in ELPC’s Jamestown, North Dakota office on renewable energy development policies, implementing the Farm Bill’s clean energy development programs and advocating state-based global warming solutions in the Great Plains.
Mindi will be able to expand on this work as chair of The North Dakota Alliance for Renewable Energy, an advocacy organization that develops networks of residents, industry, government, interest groups, and educators to promote the development and use of renewable energy, including biofuels, wind energy and energy efficiency and conservation.
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Thursday, February 26, 2009
In an article in South Dakota’s Argus Leader, ELPC President Howard Learner said that funding and tax incentives from the economic stimulus will help the wind industry continue to grow and create clean energy jobs. Like almost every industry, growth in wind power has slowed during the current economic crisis.
“Wind makes sense in rural areas, where stimulus is needed the most - South Dakota, North Dakota, Iowa,” said Learner. “This is about job creation - good, new clean jobs. And that’s why wind is going to continue to be robust. It just makes good sense, good policy sense.”
ELPC has worked for years to help South Dakota take advantage of its opportunities for wind energy. Our organization played a crucial role in the formation of the South Dakota Wind Energy Association.
Read the full article here.
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Thursday, January 22, 2009
The South Dakota Wind Energy Association (SDWEA) elected a Board of Directors, named an Executive Director and set goals for 2009 at its first official meeting on January 13. ELPC worked for months with a diverse group of stakeholders to help organize the SDWEA.
The group will work to support the development of wind energy as a sustainable economic and environmentally-friendly resource for South Dakota and its citizens. Board President Jeffrey L. Nelson commented on South Dakota’s wind energy opportunity, “South Dakota has the fourth best wind in the country and many people want to further maximize this potential.” Nelson said, “We look forward to SDWEA advancing the opportunities for South Dakotans as further wind energy is developed throughout our state.”
ELPC will continue to work with SDWEA to maximize the benefits of wind energy for the environment and the people of South Dakota.
Read SDWEA’s press release here
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Tuesday, January 13, 2009
WASHINGTON, DC - Experts from 25x’25, the National Wildlife Federation, the National Association of Wheat Growers and the Environmental Law and Policy Center today pushed Congress to support economic recovery investments in USDA renewable energy programs, as well as renewable energy bonds and tax credits to revive the economy and help America’s farmers, ranchers and rural small businesses.
Investing in agriculture-based clean energy development will diversify the nation’s energy supply, create jobs, and revitalize America’s rural economy, according to a proposal signed by more than 30 business, agriculture, energy and environmental groups. The groups are asking Congress to provide strong funding for the construction and development of advanced biofuel refineries, wind, solar, biomass and geothermal energy projects, energy efficiency, biomass research, and the development of next generation feedstocks. These programs could help create and maintain thousands of jobs in the clean energy technology fields.
The coalition’s proposals are listed in this letter
