EX- CIA BOSS WOOLSEY, DASCHLE & NEWT JOIN GOVS TO DEMO 25 BY ‘25

There are not too many issues that Tom Daschle and Newt Gingrich stump together for. If they can agree that an RES requiring 25% of electricity to come from renewables by 2025 is reasonable, who would say it is not?

Valley, national group ally for clean energy projects
Jeff St. John, August 31, 2007 (The Fresno Bee)

WHO
The 25 x '25 Initiative: Former CIA Director R. James Woolsey, former Sen. Tom Daschle, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and 23 state governors, including CA Governor Schwarzenegger; the San Joaquin Valley Clean Energy Organization; Pete Weber, co-chairman, Regional Jobs Initiative, Fresno;

It IS America's future. The only question is: How long 'til we get to the future?

WHAT
The 25 x ’25 Initiative will work with the San Joaquin Valley group to develop energy efficiency and clean energy demonstration projects, suggesting agreement on the kinds of projects best suited to meet the 25 x ’25 goal for the US of obtaining 25% of its electricity from renewable sources by 2025.

WHEN
The California Partnership for the San Joaquin Valley was formed by California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger in 2005.

WHERE
San Joaquin Valley

WHY
- The San Joaquin Valley offers a variety of advantages in the development of clean tech. It is adjacent to Silicon Valley and Carbon Alley, 2 of the best sources of cutting edge environmental and clean tech innovation in the U.S. Because of very poor air quality, the people of California’s central valley are highly motivated to accept improvements. The wide open farm country offers space for solar and wind installations. The huge cattle farms offer raw materials for biomass and biofuels.
- Major projects now being developed in the area: Pacific Ethanol Inc.'s ethanol plant, BioEnergy Solutions' Vintage Dairy’s agricultural waste-to-methane biomass energy, several large-scale solar power projects.

The San Joaquin Valley is just about right in the middle of the bright red swath across the middle of California. Good place to grow solar. (click to enlarge)

QUOTES
Weber: "We are in a fortunate position in the Valley, in that we have rich resources in all these categories…The fact that we'll have the support of the 25 x '25 group…is just a very powerful alliance…”