patriot majority

Taking Control of Our Energy Destiny

T. Boone Pickens put it best:  "We have to take control of our own destiny as far as foreign oil is concerned."  The 80-year-old Texas oil man added, "This is one problem we can't drill our way out of."

Boone's home state of Texas  -- long known for oil exploration and production -- recently took steps to further the development of renewable energy and to reduce dependence on foreign oil.

In July, the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT) approved nearly $5 billion to invest in wind power infrastructure, including transmission lines from West Texas to Dallas, San Antonio and Houston.  According to proponents, this investment will speed the development of wind farms, in the process creating jobs, economic opportunities in rural communities and a cleaner environment.

And Texas is not alone. 

• Arizona Governor Napolitano in 2003 implemented a requirement that all new state-funded facilities derive at least 10% of energy from renewable source and all existing state buildings must reduce energy use by 15% by 2011.
• California Governor Schwarzenegger has set a goal of increasing California's renewable energy sources to 20 percent by 2010, and he supports reaching 33 percent by 2020. In August 2006, also, Schwarzenegger signed the Million Solar Roofs Plan into law, which will provide 3,000 megawatts of additional clean energy and reduce the output of greenhouse gases by three million tons, equivalent to taking one million cars off the road.
• Colorado Governor Ritter in 2007 increased the state's renewable energy portfolio to require large investor-owned utilities to produce 20% of their energy from renewable resources by 2020, 4% of which must come from solar-electric technologies. Municipal utilities and rural electric providers are required to provide 10% of their electricity from renewable sources by 2020.
• Montana Governor Schweitzer in 2005 signed into law the Montana Renewable Power Production and Rural Economic Development Act, which established a renewable energy portfolio standard for the state mandating that 15% of the state's energy come from renewable sources by 2015, and for each year thereafter.
• New Mexico Governor Richardson signed legislation requiring investor-owned utilities to generate 15% renewable energy by 2015 and 20% by 2020. Richardson also signed several executive orders requiring executive branch state agencies to achieve a 20% energy usage reduction below 2005 levels by 2015 and a 20% usage reduction below 2005 levels in the state fleet and transportation activities by 2015.
• Wyoming Governor Freudenthal has staunchly supported clean coal initiatives and is leading a partnership with California to see than an integrated coal gasification combined cycle plant demonstration project specified in the federal Energy Policy Act is built in Wyoming.

Wind power can play a major role in America's long-term strategic goal of energy independence.  Currently, wind represents only one percent of our national electric supply.  But according to a recent report by the US Department of Energy, wind energy could account for 20% of the nation's electric supply by 2030. The same report also states that the wind power industry could support about 500,000 jobs and increase annual royalty payments to rural landowners to more than $600 million.

SPJ Promotes Freedom of Information

America is stronger when the sun shines in. The Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) is taking the lead on protecting freedom of information at local, state and federal levels.  SPJ provides resources and ideas to promote public access to public documents.  This patriotic defense of the First Amendment and freedom of information strengthens America.  

SPJ's comprehensive freedom-of-information (FOI) resources include:

• A toolkit so that citizens and journalists can request records and report how government agencies respond.
• FOI PowerPoint presentations used in newsroom training sessions for the past few years. Download one and tweak it to suit your needs and specific state.
• The Sunshine Network to identify FOI problems and candidate positions for 2008.
• Regularly updated news and articles on First Amendment rights and Freedom of Information throughout the U.S.
• Links to state FOI groups and academic centers, as presented by the National Freedom of Information Coalition, to encourage state-level and local involvement in defending the First Amendment and public-records access.
• Downloadable copies of SPJ's annual Freedom of Information reports detailing press-freedom updates, including the most recent federal and state laws, regulations and rules.
• Contacts with state and local FOI efforts, as part of a national network, that can be mobilized to defend access to public records.
• An easy-to-read "Q &A" that is an overview of Freedom of Information concepts and laws that can be then shared with reporters, editorial boards, members of the public and other citizens.
• A list of "Red Flags" - warning signs of restricted access so that journalists and other advocates of public access can use their FOI right to improve daily news coverage.
• An alphabetically-organized list of specific subjects where FOI laws apply. Think of it as an FOI "story tip sheet."
• "Open Doors" resource to other FOI resources with detailed and specific information on public-records access.
• Access and information on other public-records organizations, inclujding Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing free legal assistance to journalists since 1970.
• Links to important freedom-of-information studies by other organizations, including OpenTheGovernment.org's Secrecy Report Card; the First Amendment Center's report examining access to court records since September 11th; two studies that compare state open records laws, one done by Investigative Reporters and Editors and the Better Government Association, and another by the National Freedom of Information Coalition; and public opinion surveys that have focused on attitudes toward FOI.

Source:  Society of Professional Journalists' website