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Governor Backs Formation of Clean Energy Fund
April 8, 2007
Governor Ritter outlined three initiatives for his
office at the Colorado New Energy Summit on March 24. The summit
took place at the Colorado Convention Center in downtown Denver, and
was attended by more than 1,000 renewable energy supporters.
The first initiative involves creating a clean energy
fund using $10 million in gaming fees. The fund will provide rebates
to homeowners and businesses that invest in distributed renewable
energy systems. The second involves creation of a climate change
coordinator for his office to develop a climate change plan for
Colorado. Finally, Ritter will begin a green government program to
reduce energy and paper consumption at state agencies.
U.S. Senator Ken Salazar hosted the second annual
summit, which was attended by a long and bipartisan list of Colorado
political leaders.
Robert MacFarlane, national security advisor to
President Ronald Reagan, gave the keynote speech, where he stressed
the national security implications of continued and growing U.S.
dependence on Mideast oil. He noted that a truck loaded with
explosives came within 100 yards of taking out a Saudi oil terminal
that handles 6 million barrels of oil a day. He estimates that if
the attack had succeeded, the cost of oil would have risen above
$150 per barrel. MacFarlane called for incentives to U.S. automakers
to use carbon fiber in automobile body assembly to improve safety
and fuel economy. He also called for incentives for consumer to
purchase plug-in hybrid-electric cars.
For more about MacFarlane’s talk, see an article in
the March 23 edition of the Denver Post titled
“Ex-Reagan Aide to Speak at Green Energy Summit.”
http://www.denverpost.com/ci_5500015 |
