(Wyo. Gov.) Freudenthal calls for energy innovation

[TransitJohn]

Freudenthal calls for energy innovation

By Dustin Bleizeffer
Star-Tribune energy reporter Tuesday, October 09, 2007

TETON VILLAGE --The U.S. must launch a massive research and development effort to spur the kind of innovation needed to resolve the seemingly competing demand for energy and the need to address man's contribution to global warming.

And Wyoming, with an abundance of both carbon-based and renewable energy, is the perfect proving ground for such an effort, according to Gov. Dave Freudenthal.

"What we need is a program parallel to putting a man on the moon," said Freudenthal.

The U.S. spent about $24 billion on its program to put a man the moon, which translates to about $110 billion in today's economy. It would take about $11 billion annually to spawn the research, development and commercialization of energy technologies with carbon capture and sequestration, according to Freudenthal.

No individual state efforts toward the these goals will be successful "unless there is a rational federal policy," Freudenthal said. "One that encourages private industry to invest in innovation."
**snip**
Freudenthal said that at the federal level, Democrats seem to talk a tough game, but won't commit to a realistic game plan; one that fosters energy development as well as energy conservation. And Republicans, Freudenthal said, still pretend the issue doesn't exist.
snip**

http://www.casperstartribune.net/articles/2007/10/09/news/wyoming/4e8c66c6463f41658725736f0013941a.txt

[kestrel91316]

1. I have an assignment for WY:

Before you do anything else, install enough wind power to provide all your state's electricity needs. It shouldn't be difficult. The wind blows hard, all the time, in WY!

Then when you are done, clean up the environmental mess that coal and oil and gas development has made of your environment.

That ought to keep you busy for the forseeable future.

[TransitJohn]

2. wtf?

Yeah, our fault that the rest of the country demands cheap convenient power. How about California--who takes most of the electricity generated by our coal reserves--clean up the environment here.