Midwestern Governors Association Throw Support Behind 25x25 Initiative
The 25x25 initiative calls for 25% of our nation's energy supply to come from renewable resources by 2025.
Compiled by staff
Published: Aug 28, 2006
Last week the Midwestern Governors Association announced their support of the 25x'25 energy initiative during an event hosted by Gov. Tim Pawlenty at the Minnesota State Fair.
Pawlenty chairs the 13-member Midwestern Governors Association. The Governors join a growing, bipartisan list of endorsers who support establishment of a national goal: 25% of our nation's energy supply from renewable sources by 2025.
"If there is one issue that unites Midwestern governors, it is the goal of fully utilizing the economic, environmental and national security benefits of increased production and consumption of biofuels and bioenergy," explains Jesse Heier, Washington Director of the Midwestern Governors Association. Members of the association include the governors of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wisconsin.
Over the last two years, support has been building for the 25x'25 initiative, which would tap renewable energy sources such as wind, solar, biogas and biofuels. More than 250 organizations and businesses from across the country have endorsed the vision. Among these are the American Farm Bureau Federation, Deere & Co., the Big 3 U.S. Automakers (Chrysler, GM, and Ford), the National Wildlife Federation, the Natural Resources Defense Council, and the National Education Association.
This summer, a bipartisan group of senators and representatives introduced a congressional resolution, calling for 25% of the nation's energy supply from renewable sources by 2025. The number of congressional supporters continues to grow as more and more elected officials hear from constituents who are fed up with high energy prices.
"The American public is looking for solutions to their energy woes and we believe that renewable energy from the land can provide the answers," says J. Read Smith, co-chair of the 25x'25 Steering Committee. "We are extremely pleased to see elected officials, both Democrats and Republicans, grasp this important vision. Setting a bold goal is an important first step toward turning this dream into a reality."
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Tagged: biofuels, farm, Farm Bureau, American Farm Bureau Federation, bioenergy
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