Washington, DC—Representatives Udall (D-NM), Platts (R-PA), Udall (D-CO), and Pallone (D-NJ) today introduced a bill that will require the U.S. to generate 20 percent of its electricity from renewable sources by 2020.
“We commend Representatives Udall, Platts, Udall and Pallone for introducing this critical bill. By developing our homegrown energy resources we can break our dependence on fossil fuels while creating jobs and saving consumers money,” said Environment North Carolina Field Associate Margaret Hartzell
America is currently overly dependent on fossil fuels, relying on coal, oil and natural gas to meet around 70 percent of our electricity needs. As a result power plants are the nation’s largest industrial source of air pollution and are a leading contributor to global warming
The U.S. has virtually unlimited potential to generate electricity from renewable resources like wind, solar, geothermal, and biomass energy. The Udall-Udall-Platts-Pallone legislation would require utilities to gradually increase the amount of renewable energy they use, reaching 20 percent of the electricity they sell by 2020. Similar policies are now in place in more than 20 states
A 2006 analysis by Environment North Carolina found that obtaining 20 percent of electricity from renewable energy sources by 2020 could cut global warming pollution by 511 million tons-- the equivalent of taking approximately 89 million cars off the road.
“This bill is a critical step toward a cleaner, more secure energy future. By tapping the incredible potential of renewable energy, we’ll establish a cleaner, more sustainable foundation on which to build America’s economy for the 21st century,” said Hartzell
In addition to Representatives Udall, Platts, Udall, and Pallone, the other original cosponsors include: Representative Christopher Shays (R-CT) and Representative Diana DeGette (D-CO).
