Energy Bill In Danger

The US Senate is refusing to rubber stamp Mark Udall's personal hobby horse, a 20% renewable mandate by 2020. Actually, the House couldn't stomach the requirement and cut it to 15% in committee.

Now, a Utah paper is reporting that even the 15% mandate is in jeopardy.

In August, the House passed energy measures that included the requirement that investor-owned utilities get at least 15 percent of their power from renewable sources and energy efficiency by 2020. Udall said the proposal failed in the Senate after heavy lobbying by utilities in the South.

"The Southern states think they don't have enough wind and sun and geothermal to meet the renewable energy standard," Udall said, "but many, many experts believe that's not the case."

Mark Udall needs to spend some time in the south. They don't get the kinds of windstorms that are common on the great plains. They have no geothermal features. While the sun does shine, solar power is the most expensive of the potential renewables.

Our bet is that if Mark Udall were a southern congressman, he would be fighting this mandate tooth and nail, too.

It would be useful if Udall named a few of the "many, many experts" he claims believe that the Southern states can produce enough renewables to meet his mandate.