Isra-Mart srl:Green Jobs & Clean Energy Gains on the Line in Governors' Races

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Home Page Title: Governors' Races Could Reverse Green Job Gains Clean energy standards in Colorado, Minnesota and other states could be weakened texaswind.jpg

By Stacy Feldman

Colorado and other states with ambitious climate change agendas said on Wednesday they fear gubernatorial elections in their states could dial back job-creating clean energy policy.

Several Republican candidates in the 37 governors' races have suggested that they would undo renewable electricity standards (RES) that require a boost in cleaner-burning fuels if elected. They claim such measures harm the economy, chiefly through higher electricity bills, which is especially true in the Midwest and South, where solar and wind still lag behind the rest of the nation.

Colorado'snewest mandate, championed by Gov. Bill Ritter, orders utilities to get 30 percent of power from renewable sources by 2020. Supporters say the policy led to the creation of 20,000 new green jobs since 2004.

Ritter, who is not running for re-election, said it could be under attack.

"We have two different gubernatorial candidates ... who have at various times have talked about how they would unwind this energy agenda," Ritter told reporters on a conference call, outlining his concerns. They "seem to have very little sympathy, or very little sense, about the importance of renewable electricity standards."

The "two" are Dan Maes, the Republican candidate, and Tom Tancredo, an Independent. The last votersurvey from Rasmussen Reportspublished last week found that Tancredo, whose support has shot up 14 percent since August, is now within four points of frontrunner John Hickenlooper, the Democratic mayor of Denver.

Maes, marred by scandal, is in a distant third.

Tancredo wants "the free market to set prices for all forms of energy not to have politicians and bureaucrats choose winning or loosing technologies based what is popular."

"The subsidy of solar and wind technology only proves who has the best media coverage," his campaignwebsite declares. Hickenlooper calls the 30 percent RES one of his "key priorities."

If the public votes against green jobs, there is still big business, Ritter suggested. "The business community would be up in arms because we've been able to demonstrate job growth that's directly correlated."

The potent energy provision, he said, luredVestas Wind Systems, the world's biggest wind-turbine maker, to Colorado. "When we passed our renewable energy standard, Vestas made the decision within weeks to locate its first plant here."

Since then the wind giant has invested over a billion dollars in four factories that will eventually create 2,600 jobs, the governor said.

Environmental groups are keeping a careful eye on the race.

"It's a matter of watchful waiting to see what happens after the elections, and then very soon having discussions with people to figure out exactly what people are planning," Charlie Montgomery, energy organizer for theColorado Environmental Coalition, told SolveClimate News.