Three Democratic governors, appearing at a news conference Friday at the National Press Club in Washington, DC, for the Apollo Alliance, called for an ambitious state-directed jobs and energy plan including development of more renewable energy and energy efficiency programs.

Governors Bill Richardson of New Mexico, Edward Rendell of Pennsylvania, and Brian Schweitzer of Montana participated in the event with Apollo Alliance President Jerome Ringo and United Steel Workers President Leo Gerard.

The governors used the occasion to tout a plan devised by the Apollo Alliance that would develop renewable power, create oil savings, promote energy efficiency and support smart growth. Richardson endorsed the plan citing the need for state-level initiatives when there’s inaction at the federal level.

“We need a ‘Man on the Moon’ effort to end our reliance on foreign energy,” Richardson said. “The Apollo Alliance’s four-point plan for a new energy future is a solid roadmap to get this done. It is focused on state efforts because states are the incubators of innovation, especially when there’s an absence of leadership at the federal level.”

When asked what role energy will play in the 2008 presidential election, Richardson responded, “It is the top issue in the presidential race, the top challenge facing America because it deals with national security.”

Rendell, a leader in clean energy alternatives, called for the federal government to adopt a diverse, clean-energy portfolio like the one outlined by the Apollo Alliance and adopted in his home state of Pennsylvania.”You’ve heard about Pennsylvania’s advanced energy portfolio standards. We are the 21st state to have those advanced standards and we believe ours are the most comprehensive. However, we need national advanced energy portfolio standards, and the Apollo Alliance energy plan calls for that.”

Schweitzer identified the Apollo Alliance plan as a roadmap for promoting national security by easing the dependence on foreign oil while creating good jobs. The Apollo Alliance aims to end America’s dependence on foreign oil. It was inspired by President Kennedy’s original Apollo mission, and has received endorsements from major labor unions, business leaders and leading environmental organizations.

For more information on the alliance, go to https://www.apolloalliance.org/.

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