Clean
Energy Initiative
Renew Missouri thinks it's about time we started seeing
more solar panels and wind turbines in our own back yards.
Missouri is #20 in the nation in wind potential,"
says Renew Missouri Executive Director, PJ Wilson, "Yet
we literally started putting wind turbines up only last
year. We have more sunshine than New Jersey, yet most
Missourians have never seen a solar panel."
This will all change if Renew Missouri’s initiative
to put a Renewable Electricity Standard on the ballot
succeeds.
Missouri gets 86% of its electricity from coal, and our
energy plan for the future is, well, to build more coal
power plants. At a cost of over $9billion per year, we're
buying all of this coal from out of state, and barely
utilizing the robust renewable energy potential that exists
right under our noses," continues Mr. Wilson.
The Missouri Secretary of State approved ballot language
for a "15%-by-2020" Renewable Electricity Standard.
The new law will require all investor-owned utilities
in Missouri, including AmerenUE, Empire, Kansas City Power
& Light, and Aquila, to get 2% of its electricity
from renewable sources, including solar panels, wind turbines,
small hydroelectric plants, and biomass, by the year 2011,
and increase their use of renewables to at least 15% by
2020.
Renew Missouri formed in 2006, and their first accomplishment
was the passing of the Easy Connection Act in the Missouri
Legislature in 2007. The Easy Connection Act allows home
and business owners to connect wind turbines and solar
panels directly to their power systems, spinning their
electric meters backwards and getting full credit from
their utility when they’re generating more power
than is being consumed.
Renew Missouri has a team of volunteers around the state
activated to collect signatures. Now all that's necessary
is to collect 150,000 signatures by May 4th, and the issue
will appear on the ballot during this November's presidential
election.
The cost to get this issue on the ballot is estimated
at over $400,000, and over 1000 volunteers are needed
to collect signatures daily before May 4th. If you can
help collect signatures, please visit www.RenewMO.org
and sign up to volunteer or donate today!
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