Progressive Democrat Issue 119: IOWA FOCUS: Iowa continues to lead on global warming

Here are two items from Iowa State Legislature's Elesha Gayman's newsletter that are worth noting:

Iowa Power Fund Passes House

The Iowa House this week capped four months of work on legislation that would create the Iowa Power Fund by passing House File 918 and House File 927. The purpose of the legislation is to take advantage of Iowa’s alternative energy strengths by developing new industries, and reducing dependence on fossil fuels. This legislation is part of the Democrat’s Plan for Prosperity and is intended to make Iowa the “green state” and a world leader in biodiesel and renewable energy.

The funding, in House File 927, will go into effect immediately, and would go towards developing energy related industries in Iowa through research and development. This could include developing new ways of making ethanol and the development of its byproducts; expanding Iowa’s wind industry and the businesses that make equipment for the wind industry; and addressing various transportation, production and equipment needs for alternative energy.

At the beginning of 2007, Iowa had 936 mega watts of wind energy generating capacity. Iowa is the 3rd largest wind generating state. According to the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association, the biofuels industry in Iowa has added $8.2 billion to Iowa’s Gross Domestic Product and has supported the creation of more than 53,000 jobs throughout the entire Iowa economy. Iowa is 1st in the nation in ethanol production capacity, and 2nd in the nation in biodiesel production capacity. The bills play to Iowa’s strengths by increasing Iowa’s leadership in these areas.

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Greenhouse Gas Bill to Governor

This week, Senate File 485 will be sent to the Governor after passing the Iowa House and the Iowa Senate. The bill requires that, when applying for a conditional permit, electrical power plants must quantify the potential to emit greenhouse gases due to the proposed project. In addition, the bill establishes a Greenhouse Gas Inventory, a Greenhouse Gas Registry, and the Iowa Climate Control Advisory Council.

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) will establish a Greenhouse Gas Inventory by January 1, 2008. All entities are required to report information regarding the amount and type of greenhouse gas generated, the source, and other relevant information to help in developing a baseline measure of greenhouse gases produced in Iowa.

DNR will also establish a voluntary Greenhouse Gas Registry for the purposes of cooperating with other states in tracking, managing, and crediting entities in the state that reduce their generation of greenhouse gases or provide increased energy efficiency. The bill now goes to Governor Culver for his consideration.

Iowa is showing the way on global warming.

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