Minn. raises bar on renewable energy use

[deadparrot]

ST. PAUL, Minn. - Minnesota put its faith in a future fueled by renewable energy Thursday as the governor signed a law requiring utilities to generate a quarter of their power from renewable sources such as wind, water and sun by 2025. Considering where Minnesota stands now — about half the power produced in the state is from coal, and only 5 percent from renewable sources — the move is the most aggressive in the country, analysts say.

"We have to break our addiction to fossil fuels," Gov. Tim Pawlenty said in signing the legislation.

The new law, which sailed through the Legislature, encourages the use of wind farms, hydroelectric power and solar energy, as well as cleaner-burning fuels.

Minnesota's numerical goal trails targets already in place for Maine and New York, but those states had been getting a significant amount of electricity from large-scale hydropower facilities before their standards were adopted, according to data from the Interstate Renewable Energy Council and the Union of Concerned Scientists.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070222/ap_on_re_us/renewable_energy

[Canuckistanian]

1. "sailed through the Legislature"? Good news!

The 2025 deadline makes me a bit less optimistic, but a good sign, nonetheless.