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GOV. RITTER URGES CONGRESSIONAL PANEL TO

PURSUE NATIONAL RENEWABLE ENERGY STANDARD

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Gov. Ritter encouraged a congressional panel today to pursue a federal renewable energy standard, holding up Colorado's "20 percent by 2020" goal as a national model and catalyst for a New Energy Economy.

"There is great frustration among governors that there is not a federal policy that supports what states are doing around renewable energy," Gov. Ritter testified before the House Select Committee on Renewable Energy and Global Warming. "States are begging for the national government to establish a consistent national policy that speaks to conservation, efficiencies, renewables and clean coal."

"We are best as a country when we speak with one voice on something as important as energy policy that can have an over-arching impact on the rest of the world."

U.S. Rep. Mark Udall, who introduced Gov. Ritter to the House Select Committee, has proposed legislation that would establish a federal renewable energy standard. His amendment to create a national renewable energy standard has passed the House and is included in the 2007 energy bill. It would require electric utilities to obtain 15 percent of their energy from renewable sources by 2020.

Colorado voters in 2004 became the first in the country to adopt a citizen-initiated renewable energy standard when they overwhelmingly passed Amendment 37. The statewide measure called for 10 percent of electricity generation in Colorado to come from renewable sources such as wind and solar by 2015.

Earlier this year, Gov. Ritter signed the centerpiece of his New Energy Economy agenda into law, House Bill 1281. The new legislation doubles the standard set by Amendment 37, calling for 20 percent of electricity to be generated from renewable sources by 2020.

"In 2004, one of the biggest opponents to Amendment 37 was Colorado's largest gas-and-electric utility, Xcel Energy," Gov. Ritter said. "But this year, Xcel was one of our biggest allies when we doubled the renewable energy standard. And the reason is because they saw how easy it is to reach those goals. We¿re going to reach the 10 percent goal at the end of this year - eight years early."

Since taking office less than nine months ago, Gov. Ritter has helped break ground on and open new wind farms, one of the largest solar plants in the country, a biodiesel production facility and a wind-blade manufacturing plant.

"These New Energy Economy enterprises are adding value to rural parts of the state, increasing revenues to local governments and bringing much-needed jobs to Colorado," Gov. Ritter said. "The economic benefits, along with the environmental and national security benefits, cannot be overstated. They are enormous."

"In addition, the New Energy Economy is adding value to the state's robust traditional energy economy of coal, natural gas and oil," Gov. Ritter added. "We're melding the two energy economies, and people who view them as one in lieu of the other are wrong to do that."

For Gov. Ritter's complete written testimony, click here.

Later this morning, Gov. Ritter participated in a "Greening of America" panel discussion hosted by the Alliance to Save Energy. Tonight, Gov. Ritter will accept the Alliance's prestigious Charles H. Percy Award for Public Service on behalf of the Western Governors' Association for its work on energy efficiency issues.