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Missouri Governor Matt Blunt signed legislation to increase the use of renewable energy from sources such as wind, hydroelectricity, solar power, hydrogen, and biomass.
"This legislation furthers my commitment to Missouri's Green Power Initiative by increasing energy production in our state while practicing responsible environmental stewardship by increasing the use of renewable energy."
-- Missouri Governor Matt Blunt
Senate Bill 54, sponsored by Sen. Chris Koster, creates renewable energy targets for utilities. The legislation sets targets for utilities to meet a 4% renewable energy target by 2012, 8% by 2015 and 11% by 2020.
The legislation also requires the Office of Administration to ensure that at least 70% of the new vehicles purchased for the state fleet are flex fuel and allows municipal landfills to accept yard waste in order to create bioreactors to produce methane gas.
"This legislation furthers my commitment to Missouri's Green Power Initiative by increasing energy production in our state while practicing responsible environmental stewardship by increasing the use of renewable energy," Gov. Blunt said.
Previously, the governor has signed alternative fuel legislation for Missouri requiring that gasoline sold in Missouri be blended with 10 percent ethanol by 2008.
Does anyone believe voluntary, nonbinding targets, with absolutely no incentives (positive or negative) will accomplish....anything?
SB54 appears to set voluntary standards for renewable energy generation (11% by 2020), then measure generation and report back to the public what happened.
Don't judge a book by its cover. Upon taking the time to actually read the bill, one finds that the way SB54 measures renewable generation, it actually:
* Multiplies "credit" towards this goal for "various technologies and fuels", to be determined by the PSC (by an unknown factor)
* Multiplies "credit" towards this goal for electricity that's generated in-state
* Adds credit for "electrical corporation efforts to reduce the consumption of electric energy" (ie new and pre-existing conservation programs, which have nothing to do with renewable energy)
* Adds credit for "consumer efforts to reduce the consumption of electric energy" (ie every time any Missourian buys a new refrigerator)
Read for yourself: http://www.senate.mo.gov/07info/pdf-bill/tat/SB54.pdf
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