THE TIME IS NOW

The Time is Now’: Coalition Forms, Calls For Clean Energy Bill
Carl Levesque, June 18, 2010 (Wind Energy Weekly)

"…AWEA and a new coalition of renewable energy, energy efficiency, and biofuels organizations…[are calling] on the U.S. Senate to quickly pass comprehensive energy legislation that the group says will create millions of American jobs and decrease reliance on foreign supplies of fossil fuels by using domestic resources that are clean and abundant.

"The diverse and sizable coalition, which never before has come together, sent a letter to all members of the Senate as a follow-up to the President’s call to action on energy…[and] in advance of [the] meeting among Senate Democrats at which clean energy legislation was [discussed]…The coalition letter urges the Senate to move quickly with legislation promoting energy efficiency, renewable energy, and biofuels."

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"AWEA CEO Denise Bode spoke to the urgency of the matter at a press conference announcing the coalition. Discussing the political dynamics in Washington, D.C., this summer, Bode underscored that first and foremost “our hearts go out” to the people of the Gulf Coast affected by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, which is the worst environmental disaster in the nation’s history…

"On Capitol Hill with time waning before the August recess and elections coming shortly after, Congress appears set to tackle energy legislation now, particularly as the nation grapples with tough energy questions in the wake of the oil spill…"

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"The members of the coalition include AWEA, the Alliance to Save Energy, the Business Council for Sustainable Energy, the Biomass Power Association, Growth Energy, the Energy Recovery Council, the Geothermal Energy Association, the National Hydropower Association, and the Solar Energy Industries Association…"

[Denise Bode, CEO, AWEA:] “This is the opportunity to get it done…The time is now.”