MORE NEWS, 6-18 (ARNOLD SAYS YES ON ENERGY/CLIMATE BILL; PRVS MICH GOV SAYS YES TO ENERGY/CLIMATE BILL; EX-NJ GOV SAYS YES TO NEW ENERGY)

ARNOLD SAYS YES ON ENERGY/CLIMATE BILL
Governor says world needs California's leadership on renewable energy
Arnold Schwarzenegger, June 14, 2009 (The Desert Sun)

[California Republican Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger:] "California has always been on the front lines…leading our country into a healthier, wealthier and more secure future…From motion pictures…to computer software…[to] a cleaner, greener environment…I'm proud that our state needs waivers from the Environmental Protection Agency because our air quality standards are so much better than the national average.

"Californians understand better than anyone that we need more jobs and a stronger economy. We need to stop climate change — and our best chance of achieving all three goals is to have Congress put a cap on carbon pollution…That's why I'm proud that California has become a leader once again - by championing the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009…[It is supported by] more than half a dozen members of California's Congressional delegation, including Palm Springs' Rep. Mary Bono Mack."

California's sun is a new gold rush waiting. (click to enlarge)

[California Republican Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger:] "A carbon cap is vital because the pollution that causes climate change has risen to dangerously high levels…We pay for the fuel we burn but not for the pollution we emit. That pollution causes serious damage to our world, and in the long run, we all pay for it...Imagine if we decided to let everyone dump their garbage on their neighbors' lawns instead of being forced to pay for trash pickup. Sure, it would be cheaper, but it would be disastrous to public health.

"A cap creates a symbolic trash collection system for carbon pollution…[and] rewards for companies that invent new, better ways of doing business. A cap will attract investment in the kind of cutting-edge companies for which California is world famous. It will give our state a chance to seize control of the renewable energy industry, which has the potential to create even more jobs and wealth than the Internet did.

"California has abundant resources to develop renewable energy, from wave power along the coastline to biofuel from farms…but capping carbon pollution has the potential to create businesses and jobs all across the country. At the same time, a carbon cap will reduce our dependence on imported oil and will help us avoid the deadly and extremely expensive effects of climate change."

EPA's analysis. (click to enlarge)

[California Republican Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger:] "Opponents of the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009 used some political scare tactics during the House debates, including the claim that a carbon cap will raise your power bills by thousands of dollars…In fact, the Department of Energy estimates that a carbon cap will cost the average American household as little as $98 a year, or about a dime a day, per person. The bill also contains provisions to distribute some of the revenue generated to consumers to offset those costs and help keep power costs down.

"California…[doesn’t] shy away from challenges…[T]hat's why we so often succeed…[I]t's more important than ever that we continue our success rate. The world needs California leadership right now…"


PRVS MICH GOV SAYS YES TO ENERGY/CLIMATE BILL
Make Michigan nation's clean energy powerhouse; State should push for carbon cap legislation
William G. Milliken, June 14, 2009 (Detroit Free Press)

[Former Michigan Republican Governor William Milliken:] "It wasn't that long ago, that the American Midwest was the economic powerhouse of the world and Michigan was the engine of it. For more than a century, we led the way in all the most important industries: steel, automobiles and every type of manufacturing imaginable…To write a new chapter in that history, we must reject fear and turn with hope toward a clean energy future.

"Renewable energy has the potential to create even more jobs and more wealth than the Internet did. The Midwest, and Michigan in particular, could see huge benefits from clean energy industries. To accelerate these benefits, Congress must swiftly act to put a cap on carbon pollution."

Michigan is rife with businesses that will take advantage of an expansion the wind industry. (click to enlarge)

[Former Michigan Republican Governor William Milliken:] "A cap creates rewards for companies that invent new, better ways of doing business. It spurs investment in the most innovative businesses and builds support for renewable energy entrepreneurs. Michigan will see plenty of new opportunities to make money from clean energy -- from wave power in the Great Lakes to biofuels from our farms…[More importantly,] our established manufacturing companies have a chance for big profits…[I]t takes 250 tons of steel and 8,000 separate parts to make one wind turbine, and our state already has the infrastructure and the skilled workers to build what America needs.

"That's why the United Steelworkers support a carbon cap; they know it's a chance to bring jobs back to the Midwest. The Big Three automakers have joined the U.S. Climate Action Partnership to support a cap on carbon as well, and so have companies from John Deere to PepsiCo to Shell Oil. They all see the potential in a clean energy future. We need to seize this opportunity now."

The EPA says the costs are modest. (click to enlarge)

[Former Michigan Republican Governor William Milliken:] "Congress is debating the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009, which includes a carbon cap. Opponents of the bill have been pandering to fear, attacking it for being too expensive. Some have thrown around unsupported claims that a carbon cap will cost consumers thousands of dollars a year. Actually, an analysis by the Environmental Protection Agency found that a carbon cap will cost as little as $98 per year per household, or roughly 12 cents per person per day.

"In exchange for that small investment, Michigan will get more jobs, cleaner air and less dependence on imported oil -- not to mention the chance to once again be the vital center of the world economy…Our congressional representatives should support a carbon pollution cap as they craft our new national energy policy."


EX-NJ GOV SAYS YES TO NEW ENERGY
Ex-N.J. Gov.: Americans are in denial on energy; Christine Todd Whitman says too many options get ruled out…
Jon Birger, June 15, 2009 (Fortune via CNN Money)

"When politicians and businesspeople get together to discuss energy policy, it's usually the politicians who talk like dreamers and the private-sector folks trying to inject a little cold, hard realism into the conversation.

"But the tables were somewhat turned today when former EPA administrator and [former Republican] New Jersey Gov. Christine Todd Whitman and oilman-turned-wind-investor T. Boone Pickens both argued that the U.S. needs to invest in renewables and expand domestic energy production. And it was Whitman who warned that the American public doesn't yet appreciate the costs involved…"

The EPA says the costs won't be too steep. (click to enlarge)

[Whitman, co-chair, Clean and Safe Energy Coalition, a nuclear-energy advocacy group:] "If we get a cap on carbon, everything is going to be more expensive…"

"Whitman [nevertheless] supports the cap-and-trade legislation moving through Congress to cut greenhouse-gas emissions. She also urged policy makers to undertake an education campaign to overcome public opposition to new energy infrastructure like electric transmission lines, nuclear-power plants and even natural-gas pipelines…"

[Whitman:] "I've been on the other side of that as a governor…They were trying to locate a pipeline, and if you want to see pushback... It's like nuclear. We transport nuclear [material] all over the country, and yet because people know about it from The Simpsons, they're scared to death."

New Jersey has tremendous offshore wind assets. (click to enlarge)

[Whitman:] "[On energy, Americans] are very good at saying no…We don't want to import foreign oil for a whole host of reasons. We don't want coal because it's dirty. Natural gas, we don't want a pipeline anywhere near us because it might explode or something. We won't talk about nuclear. Even the environmentalists get upset with wind power at times because it's visual pollution and because birds don't look the same coming out of a windmill as they do going into it…We have got to get over this no, no, no and say we are developing new technologies, we're getting smarter about how we're doing it, it's going to take a mix of energies, and we're all going to have to be part of it…"

"Asked about the cap-and-trade bill, Whitman expressed support but urged lawmakers to give special considerations to companies that have already been leaders in reducing CO2 emissions…"