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West Speaks Up in Capitol Hill’s Growing Energy Debate
Six western state governors wrote to the Congressional leadership of both major political parties Thursday urging comprehensive action on global climate change, while one of the region’s major power utilities threw its support behind a bipartisan three-part approach to promoting plug-in electric vehicles with new power transmission legislation.
The governors of Arizona, California, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah and Washington urged the Democrat and Republican leaders in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives to support various proposals to “reduce national greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions” and to offer assistance with the development of future climate change legislation, drawing on various regional efforts now in place in the West, such as the newly formed Western Climate Initiative.
Southern California Edison Co. issued a statement supporting legislation sponsored by U.S. Sens. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), Maria Catwell (D-WA), and Barack Obama (D-IL) that advocates creating a three-part strategy for plug-in electric drive vehicles, including pure battery electric, extended range electric, plug-in hybrid electric and plug-in hybrid fuel cell vehicles. “We support the proposed legislation to begin replacing fossil fuels with sustainable alternatives such as electricity,” Edison said in a written statement released late Thursday.
Edison said the development of more electricity use in transportation “could be the single most effective step we take as we create a low-carbon culture.” The utility noted that transportation is one of the largest sources of GHG emissions (as are fossil fuel-fired electric generation plants).
The governors’ letter to Sens. Harry Reid (D-NV) and Mitch McConnell (R-KY), along with Reps. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and John Boehner (R-OH) emphasized that their six states are implementing “economically sound policies and plans to address climate change,” and said “important regional policy agreements have been formed.” They said this experience “has shown that the goals established through these efforts are consistent with climate stabilization needs and can be achieved through actions that not only reduce GHG emissions, but also generate billions of dollars in net economic savings, expand markets, create new jobs, reduce energy dependence and provide many other benefits.”
California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger had his colleagues join him in reiterating his mantra about Congress demanding that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issue California its long-standing request for a waiver to move forward with its clean tailpipe standards, along with 11 other states that have adopted similar standards.
The governors specifically cited four areas that have been identified by members of Congress from both parties:
More specifically, Edison’s show of support asked for national legislation that will provide incentives for the nation to move toward realizing the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) vision of fueling more than 70% of the nation’s light cars and trucks with grid-based electricity, in which vehicles are plugged in and charged overnight without building any new power plants or stringing any new power transmission lines.
Edison stated that electricity as a transportation fuel is about 50% to 75% cheaper than gasoline, and its utility operations include the largest electric vehicle fleet in the nation, with 300 vehicles covering about 100,000 miles monthly. The utility has maintained an electric vehicle technical center since 1993.
Along with Schwarzenegger, the five other governors writing Congressional leaders were Janet Napolitano (AZ), Bill Richardson (NM), Ted Kulongoski (OR), Jon Huntsman, Jr., (UT) and Christine Gregoire (WA).
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